Pollo Guisado - CTown x Knorr Partnership

Mi Gente, this year, I had the incredible opportunity to collaborate with CTown and Knorr to create a special Mother's Day dish that pays homage to my roots. For me, there was no other choice but to showcase Pollo guisado or stewed chicken, a staple in every Hispanic household. As a child, I fondly remember accompanying my mother to our local CTown supermarket on Saturday mornings. While my mother picked out essentials like rice, beans, and fresh vegetables, I would excitedly explore every aisle, inspecting different ingredients and products. Little did I know that years later, I would have the chance to share my memories and experiences in a Mother's Day video.

Growing up in a Hispanic household, I have fond memories of my mother marinating chicken early in the day with her homemade sazon and Knorr chicken bouillon. It's a tried and true technique that allows flavors to penetrate and enhances the final dish.

For my Mother's Day pollo guisado, I decided to keep it super traditional by using the same fresh ingredients and Knorr's caldo de pollo. After marinating the chicken in the fridge for 4 hours, I brought it to room temperature before cooking. And of course, I had my daughter Hailee by my side, hoping to pass down the tips and tricks that my mother taught me.

One step that my mother always emphasized, and I highly recommend, is adding sugar to piping hot oil. Not only does it help brown the chicken, but it also creates an additional layer of flavor that takes this dish to the next level. While I didn't use my mother's exact sazon recipe in this dish, the flavors were just as delicious and reminded me of home.

Great suggestion! Making a recipe your own is all about experimenting with different ingredients and finding what works best for your taste buds. Don't be afraid to switch things up and make substitutions that suit your preferences. And sharing your feedback with others is a great way to inspire creativity in the kitchen and help others discover new and exciting flavors. So, be sure to let others know how your own version of this recipe turned out and what modifications you made.

Mama Carmen’s Pollo Guisado

1 pollo entero (10 piezas)

1 pimiento cubanelle

½ cebolla picada

¼ taza de alcaparrado

5 dientes de ajo

2 cucharaditas de orégano

1 cucharadita de sal

1 ½ cucharadas de caldo de pollo Knorr

2 limas

½ taza de cilantro macho

1 ½ cucharada de salsa china

2-3 cucharadas de aceite

1 cucharadita de azúcar

½ cucharada de pasta de tomate

2 tazas de agua

¼ taza de cebollas

½ taza de pimientos verdes y rojos

Instrucciones:

1. Lavar las piezas de pollo con agua y limas

2. Usando un pastel y un mortero, prepare la pasta de ajo y orégano agregando sal y triturando hasta obtener una consistencia suave.

3. Sazone el pollo con alcaparrado, cebolla, chile cubanelle, cubitos de pollo Knorr, mezcle bien, cubra y deje marinar durante al menos 1 hora.

4. Agregue aceite y azúcar a una olla a fuego medio-alto y deje que el azúcar se caramelice antes de agregar el pollo para que se dore. Guardar marinada para usar luego

5. Mientras el pollo se dora, agregue la pasta de tomate y el agua a la marinada sobrante, agregue al pollo y deje hervir a fuego lento.

6. Cubra el pollo durante 20 minutos, una vez que la salsa se haya reducido a la mitad, destape y termine con rodajas de cebolla y pimientos.

ENGLISH:

Grandma Carmen’s Stew Chicken

1 whole chicken (10 pieces)

1 cubanelle pepper

½ onion

¼ cup alcaparrado

5 garlic cloves

2 tsp oregano

1 tsp salt

1.5 tbsp Knorr caldo de pollo

2 limes

½ cup Cilantro macho

1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce

2-3 tbsp oil

1 tsp sugar

½ tbsp tomato paste

2 cups water

¼ cup Onions

½ cup Green & red peppers

Directions:

1. Wash chicken pieces with water and limes

2. Using a pestle and mortar prepare garlic and oregano paste by adding salt and crushing until a smooth consistency

3. Season chicken using alcaparrado, onions, cubanelle pepper, Knorr chicken flavor bouillon, mix well, cover and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour.

4. Add oil and sugar to a pot over medium-high heat and allow the sugar to caramelize before adding the chicken to brown. Save marinade

5. While chicken is browning add tomato paste and water to leftover marinade add to chicken and allow to simmer.

6. Cover chicken for 20 mins, once sauce has reduced by half uncover and finish off with sliced onions and bell peppers.

Watch me make this recipe: