Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
- 1 medium green bell pepper, quartered and seeded
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped, lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves and stems, more leaves for garnish
- 4 medium garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 pounds chicken drumsticks, skin removed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt, more to taste
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more to taste
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon adobo all-purpose seasoning
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sazón with achiote
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 16 cups (4 quarts) chicken stock, more as needed
- 1/2 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice
- 1/2 pound yuca root, peeled, woody center removed, cut into 3/4-inch dice
- 1 medium green plantain, peeled and cut into 1-inch thick rounds
- 1/2 pound calabaza pumpkin (Caribbean pumpkin), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice
- 1 medium ear of corn, cut into 1-inch rounds
- Cooked white rice, for serving, optional
Instructions
- Make Puerto Rican sofrito (recaito) by pulsing and processing the onion, bell pepper, cilantro, garlic, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a food processor or blender until it resembles a chunky sauce. Set aside 1/2 cup of the recaito and freeze the rest for future preparations.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to a very large, heavy-duty pot over medium-high heat.
- Dry the drumsticks with a paper towel and season them with salt and pepper.
- Brown the chicken in batches. Remove from the pot as they are seared and set aside.
- Lower the heat to medium. Remove any excess fat from the pot, leaving about two tablespoons. Add the reserved 1/2 cup of recaito and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add the tomato sauce, adobo, sazón, oregano, and bay leaves. Sauté for 1 minute to bloom the spices, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
- Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Add salt and pepper to taste, keeping in mind that as the broth cooks and evaporates, it becomes saltier.
- Decrease the heat to medium-low. Add the chicken back to the pot and cover, leaving the lid slightly cracked. Simmer on low for 1 hour.
- Skim the fat off the top of the stew with a spoon. Add the potatoes, yuca, plantain, calabaza, and corn. If necessary, add more chicken stock to cover the ingredients in the pot. Cover, leaving the lid slightly cracked, and simmer on low until the vegetables are fork tender, about 30 minutes more.
- Taste the broth and season with salt and pepper if necessary. Serve the stew in large bowls and garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve as is or with a side of white rice.
Click here to find out more. --> Sancocho Recipe (Puerto Rican Meat and Vegetable Stew) (thespruceeats.com)