In the mood for some meat and potatoes . . . I found a recipe for Latin Pork and Potatoes in the local paper that looked intriguing. It was an easy one pot meal but the list of ingredients seemed to be a bit on the bland side. So I changed it up subbing in chicken thighs for the pork chops and adding salsa flavors to the pot. It was an amazing blend of flavors with chicken so tender and juicy surrounded by potatoes, onions, green chiles and garlic in a brothy tomato base. It made a hearty meal with a hunk of french bread on the side to sop of any leftover juices.
I picked up a package of chicken thighs (5 or 6) will be just about right for this size pot. The rest of the pot will consist of cut up potatoes, sliced onions, chopped green chiles, chopped green onion, garlic and fire roasted tomatoes. Not pictured is a cup of water with chicken bouillon.
Taking a bite of potato with a little crispy texture is much more fun to eat than a boiled potato so I took an extra step to prep the potatoes. First cut the potatoes into cubes and set in a microwave safe bowl. Drizzle olive oil over the potatoes, cover and microwave on high 4 – 6 minutes. After 2 minutes, toss the potatoes and cook an additional 2 minutes. Test the potatoes with a fork after 4 minutes to see if they are soft. If they are still hard, cook an additional 1 – 2 minutes.
Heat up a dutch oven or braising skillet with a drizzle of olive oil.
When the pot is hot add the softened potatoes to the pan and let cook 10 – 12 minutes stirring often.
They will begin to crisp around the edges after just a few minutes.
Remove from the pan and set aside. You’ll add these back to the pot in a few minutes.
Time to brown the chicken. Add another drizzle of oil to the pan, sprinkle the chicken with a little salt and add to the hot pan.
Let cook 3 – 4 minutes on each side. Remove from the pot and set aside.
Next add the onions.
I’ll just saute these a few minutes to soften them.
See all that brown crustiness on the bottom of the pot, that’s flavor. Add a cup of water to the pot with the onions and stir the pot. A wooden spoon will scrape up the crusty flavors on the bottom and blend in with the rest.
I added a teaspoon of chicken bouillon which adds some flavor and salt.
Stir the pot.
Grate the garlic on a microplane grater right in with the onions.
Add the chopped green chile.
And the can of fire roasted tomatoes. Stir it all together.
Time to add the chicken pieces and potatoes back to the pot. Sprinkle with green onion over top, cover with a lid and turn the heat down to low. Cook low and slow for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Wish you could smell this!
Fill your bowl with a piece of chicken and ladle the potatoes and salsa all around. Garnish with green onion and cilantro.
Latin Salsa Chicken
5 – 6 Chicken Thighs, bone in
3 medium Potatoes, cut into chunks
1/2 large Onion, sliced julienne
2 Green Chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 cloves Garlic, grated on a microplane grater
2 tablespoons Green Onon, chopped
2 tablespoons Cilantro, roughly chopped
1 cup Water
1 teaspoon Chicken Bouillon
1 (14.5 ounce can) Fire Roasted Tomatoes
Salt, to taste
Olive Oil, for drizzling
Prepare the potatoes: Cut into chunks and place in a microwave safe bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and microwave 2 minutes on high. Toss the potatoes and cook an additional 2 minutes, test with a fork to see if they are soft. If needed, cook an additional 1 – 2 minutes.
Heat a dutch oven or braising pan with olive oil. Cook the potatoes 10 – 12 minutes over medium high heat until they become crisp. Turn the potatoes often to cook on all sides. When crisp, remove from pan and set aside.
In the same pan, drizzle with olive oil. Salt the chicken and place in the pan to brown. Cook 3 -4 minutes on each side, just enough to brown the outside of the chicken. Remove from pan and set aside.
Drizzle the pan with olive oil and add the sliced onion. Cook 3 – 4 minutes. When onions begin to soften, add the water, bouillon, garlic, green chile, and fire roasted tomatoes. Scrape the bottom of the pot, stir the ingredients and set the chicken pieces back in the pot along with the cooked potatoes. Sprinkle with the green onion, cover the pot with a lid and turn the heat down to a low simmer. Cook 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Garnish with sliced lime wedges, sliced green onion, and chopped cilantro.
Makes 5 – 6 servings.
An Inspired Cook 