One of the highlights of my trips to Puerto Rico growing up was when my abuela would make her savory, comforting, and delicious Asopao dish, a Puerto rican style chicken stew. Now I bring it to you. Enjoy.
Ingredients
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut into large chunks)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons of Adobo Seasoning, divided*
1 packet of sazon
½ cup sofrito **
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 fresh tomato diced
1 bay leaf
1½ cups uncooked medium grain rice
¾ cup dry white wine
1 (15.5-ounce) can of Chicken Stock**
3 cups water
1 cup small green olives stuffed with pimentos
1 cup frozen petite green peas***
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnishment:
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Avocado slices
** Sofrito recipe and instructions
medium Spanish onions, cut into large chunks (about 2 cups)
4 cubanelle peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into large chunks (about 2 cups)
18 medium cloves garlic, peeled
1 large bunch cilantro, washed and roughly chopped (about 1½ cups)
8 ajices dulces
4 leaves of cilantro
4 ripe plum tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks (about 1½ cups)
1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and roughly chopped (about 1½ cups)
Kosher salt (optional)
Sofrito instructions:
Place onions and cubanelle peppers in workbowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse until coarsely chopped.
With the motor running, add the remaining ingredients one at a time through the feed tube and process until smooth. Season to taste with salt. Transfer to container and store in refrigerator for up to three days, or freeze.
Instructions
Season chicken with black pepper, oregano and 1 TB of adobo. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to Dutch oven and let heat up for a couple minutes. Add the seasoned chicken to the hot oil and cook the chicken until the meat is browned on both sides. Cooking time is about 4 to 5 minutes per side.
To the Dutch oven with browned chicken, add the prepared sofrito, sazon, and diced tomatoes with liquid and chopped tomato. Stir together with chicken and let cook for about 3 minutes until mixture begins to boil. Add the white wine and stir everything together. Cook for a few more minutes until boiling. Next add the chicken broth, water, and remaining Adobo Seasoning and bay leaf. Stir everything together and bring just to a boil. Then add rice** and stir. Turn heat down to medium-low and and stir in the green olives. Let simmer, on the stove, for about 20 minutes until the rice is fully cooked. Stir in the frozen peas and simmer for approximately 5 minutes until peas are heated. Add additional Adobo Seasoning or salt and pepper to taste. (** If you plan to eat this stew over multiple days consider skipping adding the rice into the stew. Cooking the rice into the stew is great on the first day but on the second day, the rice will get mushy. So make rice separately instead and ladle stew on top of it.)
Serve in bowls garnished with fresh cilantro and avocado slices and enjoy.
Recipe by A Day in the Bite at https://www.adayinthebite.com/asopao/