Seco De Pollo {Ecuadorian Chicken Stew}

Step 1

Rub the chicken pieces with the ground achiote, cumin, salt and pepper.

Step 2

Blend the beer and the naranjilla juice with the onion chunks, whole garlic cloves, tomatoes, bell peppers, hot pepper, cilantro, parsley, oregano to obtain a smooth sauce or puree.

Step 3

Heat the oil and brown the chicken pieces.

Step 4

Pour the blended beer vegetable mix over the chicken. Bring to a boil.

Step 5

Reduce the heat and cook on low for about an hour (if you were using an old hen it would take longer, but most supermarket chicken will be tender in an hour or less).

Step 6

If the chicken is tender, but sauce isn't thick yet, then remove the cooked chicken pieces, turn up the heat and cook the sauce until it's nice and thick, about 10 to 15 minutes. At this point I also like to taste the sauce and adjust salt/spices, if the flavor is slightly bitter from the beer you can neutralize it by adding some freshly squeezed orange juice/lemon juice. Once the sauce has thickened add the chicken pieces back to the pot and mix in the remaining chopped cilantro and parsley.

Step 7

Serve with arroz amarillo or yellow rice and fried ripe plantains. Can also be served with avocado and a small salad.