Chicken fricassee or fricase de pollo is yet another staple dish in every Cuban household. It’s easy, and economical and boy does that sauce pack flavor! I can honestly skip out on the actual chicken, and just drink this sauce. Oh, and the papitas (potatoes) as well. They’re just melt in your mouth tender and soak up all the sauce flavor too. Yum!

There are many variations to this recipe which include boneless and/or skinless chicken, but I will tell you that the flavor is in that skin and bone, so don’t bother to do it any other way. You don’t want dried up flavorless chicken do you? After all, Cuban food is all about flavor.

I love cooking all sorts of dishes, but as I’ve always said, I’ll always go back to my roots. Cuban food is the best food. Let’s eat.

Here is the recipe:

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 4 bone-in chicken thighs with skin, thawed, rinsed and dried
• 2 Tbsp of canola oil
• ¼ cup of green olives, pitted 
• 1 tsp of the olive brine
• 2 large bay leaves
• 2 heaping Tbsp of tomato paste
• ½ medium size yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ medium green bell pepper, finely chopped
• ½ medium roasted red pepper, plus more for garnish
• 4 small red potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 tsp of salt
• 2 tsp of ground black pepper
• 1 tsp of spanish paprika
• ¼ tsp of cumin
• 1 tsp of granulated onion powder
• 1 tsp of granulated garlic powder
• 4 medium size red potatoes, peeled and cubed
• A pinch of granulated sugar
• 1 tsp of white wine vinegar
• 2 ½ cups of water
• 1 cube or (1 tsp if powder) of chicken bouillon (I used Knorr brand)

Directions:

1. First, season each chicken thigh with 1 tsp of salt and black pepper. Set them aside.
2. Then, add 2 Tbsp of canola oil to a large heavy pot with a lid over medium heat.
3. Next, add the onion, garlic, and the green bell pepper and sauté them for 2 minutes.
4. Incorporate the tomato paste and stir to combine. Now you have the base or sofrito for your recipe.
5. Follow by adding the remaining tsp of salt, black ground pepper, cumin, spanish paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Stir to combine and cook for 3 minutes.
6. Arrange the chicken thighs skin side up in the pot. Then add the potatoes.
7. Add the 2 ½ cups of water, chicken bouillon, bay leaves, green olives, white vinegar, and a pinch of sugar. 
8. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
9. After the 20 minute mark, uncover the pot and set the heat to medium low. Then add the roasted red peppers and cook for another 5-10 minutes. The potatoes should be tender and the sauce thickened, but not dry at this point. You may need an additional 10 minutes for the potatoes to soften all the way through. If so, cover the pot and let it simmer on medium low heat. If the sauce has dried up, add ¼ cup of water and stir to thin it out.
10. Plate and serve over white rice. Enjoy!