Chicken Afritada

My daughter, Liane, who is 16 years old, is my biggest support in this www. com endeavor. She also happens to be my loudest reality check call. I asked her today to log into my website control panel so I can start editing. I was busily sauteing when her voice boomed into the kitchen-”Mama, you had O (like zero, zilch, nada, wala) page visits on 11/2/2007 and 10 today (these 10 are probably because of me checking and editing pages!). Well, what can I say? What is there to visit? I have but 10 recipes posted and all but 2 pages! Ok, ok. I admit I’ve been arriving short of my goal of 5 to 10 posts a week! It’s not like I haven’t been cooking. I cook everynight. It’s just that I thought sinigang pork, or ginisang mung bean, or even this chicken afritada we had last Friday are so familiar every filipina aunt and sister knows how to cook them. But I realized we all have our own little tricks in the kitchen and they are all worth sharing. Good example is this chicken afritada. I don’t use canned tomato sauce as called for by most recipes. I use fresh tomatoes, lots and lots of tomatoes! So, there! I am posting every dish that comes out of my kitchen!

A few hours ago, I defrosted an almost 4-pounder cut-up chicken. I cooked half as curry and the other half as afritada. Both dishes work with the same principle-the sauteing with onions and the addition of potatoes, carrots, and bell peppers. Chicken curry is put together by coconut milk and chicken afritada by tomato sauce.

 

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients

2 to 3 lbs bone-in chicken, cut into serving pieces
6 to 8 large tomatoes, finely chopped
1/2 small onion, sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into cubes
1/2 small red bell pepper, sliced into small squares
1/2 small green bell pepper, cut into small squares
3 to 4 cups water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp fish sauce
salt and pepper

Procedure

Heat oil in skillet. Fry potatoes, then carrots until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.

Saute onions and garlic until translucent. Add chicken parts and lightly brown for around 8 to 10 minutes. Pour in fish sauce. Continue to cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Allow natural oils to seep through.

Add tomatoes and continue cooking, mashing tomatoes with back of spoon. Juice from chicken and tomatoes will seep through. Skim scum that may accumulate on top.

Add water. Allow to a hard boil for 3-5 minutes. Cover and lower heat. Simmer until meat is tender, and sauce is reduced and slightly thickened. Stir occasionally.

Add potatoes and carrots. Continue to cook until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Add bell peppers. Simmer for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.

Serve hot.

TIP:
Green peas can also be added, if desired.

 

Chicken and Poultry Recipes in The CookMobile Archive:

Herbed Chicken with Feta Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

 

 

 

Mini Bacon-Ranch and Pico de Gallo Pizzas

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• Tinolang Manok (Stewed Chicken in Ginger)
• Lumpiang Shanghai
• Arroz Caldo
• Ginisang Sardinas at Miswa (Sardines and Vermicelli Stew)
• The Secret Recipe of Max’s Restaurant Fried Chicken
• Sinigang na Manok (Stewing Chicken in Tamarind Broth)
• Beef Pochero
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• Pork Menudo
• Pancit Guisado