"Dee Dee's Home Run Chicken"- Pollo Guisado

"Dee Dee's Home Run Chicken"- Pollo Guisado

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon sugar

2 large tablespoons sazon seasoning

1 large chicken bouillon cube, crumbled

1 whole chicken, cut up, skin removed, bone-in

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

Water, to cover chicken

Kosher salt

Red Beans and Rice (Habichuela), recipe follows

Red Beans and Rice - Habichuela:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 strip bacon, sliced

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped acorn squash

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 large chicken bouillon cube, crumbled

1/2 cup water

1 (15-ounce) can red beans, drained

White rice, recipe follows

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

White Rice:

2 cups water

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup medium-grain rice

Directions

In a Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil and sugar over medium-high heat. Add the sazon seasoning and the bouillon and cook until the sugar lightly browns. Add the chicken and let it fry, stirring it around to get all the sides browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin and chili powder. Add water to just cover the top of the chicken. Let the water come to a boil and stir to make sure the tomato paste is combined. Taste the water for salt*. Cook the chicken stirring occasionally, until tender, about 45 to 60 minutes. Remove the chicken to a serving platter and coat with the cooking sauce from the pan. Serve with Habichuela.

Red Beans and Rice - Habichuela:

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the oil and bacon. Stir in the garlic, bell pepper, squash, tomato paste, bouillon cube, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the beans and simmer for another 10 minutes. Serve over white rice, garnished with cilantro.

White Rice:

In a medium pot, bring the water to a boil over high heat and add the oil and salt. Stir in the rice, cover with a lid and let cook over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes. Lower the heat for the last 5 minutes. The rice should be soft and fluffy.