April 25-27 – 2019 – 25-27 de Abríl

 

Ever since my first foray into making a quick version of Huatía Sulcana, a Peruvian dish of slow braised beef in a mix of aromatic herbs, it’s been an ongoing series of experiments. I’ve made beef versions, oxtail versions, pork versions, and, chicken versions. And each has brought with it the need to consider the flavors that go best with that particular type of meat, as well as logistical considerations, like, how long should it cook? Chicken requires the least cooking time – if you let it go for the 6-7 hours that I cook the beef or oxtail versions these days, there’d be nothing left but shreds of meat floating about in the liquid and the bones at the bottom of the pot.

Now, this chicken dish is nothing (well, not nothing, but let’s say it’s a far cry, though inspired by) like the version from the restaurant that was its starting point, El Senorio de Sulco. But that’s how inspiration works, no? I’ve had three requests this week for the recipe, so here’s how we make it, for a table of ten, plus a couple of extras for us…. Unfortunately, not having planned on it, I didn’t take all the step-by-step photos, so you’ll have to use your imagination.

The Huatía itself

12 chicken thighs, remove the skin and reserve it
2 leeks
4 cloves of garlic
1 rocoto chili
3 dry ají mirasol chilies
1 lemon
½ bottle of white or rose wine
2 liters of chicken stock
salt
small handful each of various fresh herbs (we use as many as we can get that are in season, for this particular pot, it was parsley, cilantro, mint, basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme, and chives)
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of flour

Place the skinless chicken thighs in a stockpot. Coarsely chop the leeks and garlic and add them. Remove the seeds from the rocoto and add to the pot along with the yellow chilies (remove the stems), and the lemon, cut in quarters. Sprinkle about 2 tsp of salt over it all. Add the herbs in a sort of raft over the top of it all – remove any woody stems from herbs like the rosemary or thyme. Top with the wine and enough of chicken stock to just let the raft of herbs float above the chicken.

Cover the pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Push the raft of herbs down into the liquid. Reduce the heat to minimum and let simmer for 1½-2 hours. Check it every now and again to make sure it’s still simmering, and give it a stir, to move the chicken around and make sure it cooks evenly. Scoop out all the herbs, chilies, and such and put in a blender. Add the butter and flour, and just a ladle or two of the liquid from the pot, and blend until a smooth puree. Strain and bring to a quick boil to thicken. Check for seasoning, add salt if needed. Keep the chicken in the pot of liquid while doing all this to keep it hot.

Serve the chicken napped with the sauce, and accompanied by the barley and carrot mixture below. For a little color, some chopped herbs, or in this case, some chopped green onion, to decorate.

The Skin

What about that chicken skin we set aside? I lay it out on a baking sheet, fat side down, and stick it in the refrigerator until about 20 minutes before we’re ready to serve. At that point, I pat it dry, and sprinkle it with a little salt, pepper, chili flakes, and cumin. Then I put it in a hot oven. After about 15 minutes I pull it out and drain off the chicken fat that’s rendered (if you don’t want to waste it, you can save it for other uses, or even mix it into the barley that we’re about to make to accompany the huatía). Then I return the baking sheet to the oven to let the skin finish crisping up for about 5 minutes.

The Side Dish

2 large carrots
1 tablespoon of butter
½ tsp of salt
½ tsp of ground coriander seed
2-3 Tb of plain yogurt

Peel and finely dice the carrots. Put in a small baking pan along with the butter, salt, and coriander, and roast, stirring occasionally, for about half an hour, until lightly golden. Set aside.

250 gm pearl barley
750 ml chicken stock
½ tsp of espresso powder
½ tsp of unsweetened cocoa

Place all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the barley is puffed, soft, and cooked through – about an hour.

Mix together the barley, the carrots, and the yogurt (and the chicken fat if you like – not too much, maybe a tablespoonful or two, or it will just be oily). Adjust seasoning if needed.

And that’s our Huatía de Pollo.