Dry chicken
Dry chicken is an easy recipe for stewed chicken, with peas, carrots and potatoes, cooked together in a delicious cilantro sauce. It’s a Peruvian specialty that is also made with beef (seco de res) and duck (seco de pato). Served with South American-style rice, seco de pollo is a one dish meal. It’s perfect for entertaining, as it’s easy to make ahead, then reheat and serve when ready.
Ingredients
- 2 whole chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 3 tablespoons chopped chile pepper (aji amarillo, jalapeno, or similar hot chili pepper)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large bunch of cilantro
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 medium bag frozen peas
- 3 large carrots
- 4 medium yellow potatoes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
Preparation
The potatoes and cut each potato into 4 wedges.
Peel the carrots and slice each carrot crosswise into 1/4 inch thick round slices. Set aside with the potatoes and frozen peas.
Wash and dry the cilantro and remove the large pieces of stem.
Place the cilantro in a blender or food processor with 1/2 cup of the chicken broth and process until smooth. Set aside.
Cut each chicken breast half into 3-4 pieces. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
Melt the butter and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté chicken pieces just until lightly browned on all sides. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.
Add the chopped onion, chile pepper, and minced garlic to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until soft and translucent.
Add the processed cilantro and the rest of the chicken stock to the saucepan. Add the carrots and potatoes, and simmer until just tender.
Add the chicken pieces and the peas and simmer. Check the chicken pieces for doneness often, and remove sauceopan from heat once the chicken is just cooked through.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve over rice.
