Frango Na Pucara - Portuguese Chicken in a Pot

Recently while browsing through my cookbooks, I chanced upon a chicken recipe which had all the ingredients for a smash hit dish. Always on the lookout for interesting recipes, I just knew my chilly sunday afternoon would be enjoyed cooking this recipe.

The dish is called Frango na Pucara, which roughly translates to Chicken in a Pot. It's simplicity, use of easily available ingredients and easy recipe makes it a truly global dish. The taste has a universal appeal and I loved every minute of preparing this one. Checking the web, I found a dozen recipes for it, each with some difference in ingredient than the next. Some added brandy, some grappa, some neither. Some called for the oven, some cooked it on flame altogether. Some made it dry, some with too watery a gravy (almost stew like). I decided to go with the flow and come up with my version of the same. One quick visit to the local grocery store and I was done with my list of requirements to get me going for this one.

Frango Na Pucara - My Version


Makes 4 Portions


Ingredients:

Chicken, cut into 8 pieces (or if you want more, go ahead) - 1

For the chicken coating
All-purpose Flour - 1 Cup
Paprika - 1 Tblsp
Thyme - 1 Tblsp
Salt - 1.5 Tsp
Black Pepper, freshly ground - 1/2 Tsp

For the gravy
Prosciutto -120 gms
Pearl Onions, peeled and blanched - 12
Red Bell Pepper, roasted, peeled and cut into thick strips - 1
Garlic cloves - 6
Tomatoes, diced - 3
Bay Leaves - 3
Parsley sprigs - 4
Dry white wine - 1/2 Cup
Tawny Port - 1/2 Cup
Tomato Paste - 1 Tblsp
Dijon Mustard - 1 Tblsp
Paprika - 1/4 Tsp
Salt - To Taste
Extra-virgin olive oil - 2 Tblsp

Method:1 . Sift together the ingredients for the flour coating in a large bowl.
2. Add the chicken pieces to this flour mixture, 1 at a time. Coat evenly on all sides.
3. Heat oil in skillet or a pan (medium flame). Add the chicken pieces to the skillet and saute till brown (4 minutes each side). Transfer the chicken pieces to a plate and keep aside. Reserve the skillet with all the juices.
4. In a large ovenproof crockpot, arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer. Top them with diced tomatoes, prosciutto, pearl onions, red bell pepper, garlic, parsley and bay leaves. Sprinkle paprika on top.
5. Put the reserved skillet back on the flame. Add in the port wine and white wine. Bring to a boil while scraping the sides and bottom for the browned bits.
6. Remove the skillet from the flame. Add in the tomato paste and mustard. Mix well.
7. Pour this over the chicken. Put the crockpot on flame and bring to a boil. Adjust seasoning.
8. Transfer the crockpot to the oven and braise at 350 degrees F for an an hour to an hour and a half.
9. Remove chicken and discard the bay leaves. Pour in a serving dish and serve hot with rice (if you made one with lots of gravy) or with bread (dry with enough coating consistency).

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Stuffed Peppers

I have never hated flying and so much and I have never loved coming back to a hotel so much as I did last evening. My trip to Florida and Washington had been so exhaustive that everytime I needed to catch a plane, I dreaded it. Thankfully, I'm back in Minneapolis and looking forward to the weekend.

To celebrate the weekend I made myself some stuffed peppers. It took me no time to make them and once I was done with the plating, I raised a glass of wine to myself quitely and bit into one of them. They tasted so good, I had to raise the next glass to my creations. I used some spanish rice with squid salad on the sides.

If these look appealing to you, wait till you hear my plan for the weekend. I plan to make some Chile Rellenos with an Indian twist on Sunday and have been spending my time shopping for the ingredients.

Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

Bell Peppers - 3

Rice, boiled and drained - 1 Cup

Beef Mince - 1 Cup

Onions, chopped finely - 3 Tblsp

Carrot, chopped fine - 3 Tblsp

Mushrooms, chopped fine - 4 Tblsp

Celery, chopped fine - 3 Tblsp

Garlic, minced - 1 Tsp

Tomatoes, concassed - 3 Tblsp

Cayenne Pepper - 1 Tsp

Thyme - 1 tsp

Oregano - 1/2 tsp

Allspice - 1 Tsp
Basil - 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds, powdered - 1/2 tsp

Paprika - 1 tsp

Black Pepper - 2 tsp

Cheese, grated - 3 Tblsp

Salt - To taste

Oil

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add in garlic and onions. Saute till they turn translucent.

2. Add in the Beef mince. Cook for 2 minutes.

3. Add in the finely chopped vegetables (except tomatoes) and mix well.

4. Add in the spices and mix well.

5. Cook for 7 minutes.

6. Add in the chopped tomatoes. Mix well.

7. Cook till the mixture starts to dry and beef is cooked.

8. Take off flame. Mix in rice and adjust seasoning. Keep aside.

9. Blanch the bell peppers and cut them into halves lengthwise. Deseed and clean them.

10. Fill the bell peppers with the prepared mixture. Press the mixture down as you fill the peppers.

11. After you have filled the peppers till the top, sprinkle grated cheese on top.

12. Place on grill and cook till cheese melts.

13. Cut into further halves (quarters) and serve hot.

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