Spanish Chicken Stew

We grew up eating Spanish Chicken Stew, a dish that has become a staple in our family. A few dashes of hot sauce, tender chicken thighs, and green olives are served atop a bed of white rice that soaks up the sauce beautifully. It is ideal for chilly days like the ones we’ve been having in New York recently.

In our family, only a handful of recipes have lasted the test of time, and this is one of them. The two of us anticipate many more years of pleasure from it.

Ingredients:

• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 1 14-ounce can of pink beans
• 14 ounces of canned whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 packet of Goya Sazon con culantro y achiote seasoning
• 6 cloves of finely chopped garlic
• 4 medium carrots, diced
• 3 cups of uncooked steamed white rice (mixed with ¼ cup of olive oil, 1 tsp of salt, and ¼ cup of chopped parsley)
• 2 tablespoons of oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 stalks of diced celery
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 medium potatoes, diced
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ cup of roughly chopped Spanish green olives
• 2 cups of water
• Salt to taste

Instructions:

1. To begin, place a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Put 2 tablespoons of oil on the pan and brown the chicken thighs on both sides. After it has been browned, remove the chicken from a plate.
2. Toss the onions and garlic into the pan. Celery, carrots, bell pepper, and potato should be added after cooking a minute or so. Carrots need a few minutes of cooking time to soften. Mix in the seasoning packet.
3. Two bay leaves, half a cup of Spanish green olives (whole is preferred but chopped is also delicious), and a 14-ounce can each of whole peeled tomatoes and pink beans.
4. Throw the chicken and veggies into a pot with two cups of water. To simmer, boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover. The potatoes will be done cooking in 30 minutes. After that, remove the lid and continue cooking for another 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat to reduce the sauce.
5. Toss 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt (or to taste), and 1/4 cup of chopped parsley with 1 cup of cooked white rice and serve. Our favorite complement to this stew is a dash of hot sauce, and both Crystal and Tabasco are excellent choices.