Pinoy Recipe: Chicken Afritada

The following is an exchange of email from a friend about chicken afritada.

De:  So, R is planning to invite his co-workers over for dinner and he commented how much he liked your simple dish of chicken stew from the last time you had us over. I'd like to try to make that for this dinner...the dish with chicken, tomato paste, potatoes, and veggies...I hope you recognize which one I'm talking about. So when you have a chance, can you email me the recipe?

Me:  So, because I don't follow a recipe I am giving you a recipe, with tips on how I make it.
I don't particularly like to see the shape of a leg, it does not absorb the flavor in cooking process, it is not too economical, and if you are serving more than 1 viand, as Pinoys are wont to do then there will be a lot of left overs of the guests' plates.

Afritada Recipe from a Filipino Cookboosk

The image of afritada from the cookbook

So, I cut the chicken into 1 inch bits the rest of the ingredients are cut in the same size (this is so that it is convenient to eat, nothing falling off the flatware)

If you want it to be a little sweet, add raisins, or a little sour add pickle relish, and olives for a little saltiness. You can add all of these too ..

 Ingredients:

     Olive Oil
     chicken thighs
     2 pcs good sized potatoes
     2 pcs potatoes (red skin)
     1 pc carrot
     bell pepper
     fish sauce
     ground pepper
     raisins
     olives
     onions
     garlic

What I do is in a heavy bottom pot, i saute the diced onions, tomatoes in olive oil, then the chicken until a liltle brown, add tomatoes, add the potatoes and carrots, enough water to cover the chicken, let simmer for hours, halfway through you can add pickles, olives, and raisins (optional)..the water would have evaporated leaving a thicker, flavorful sauce.  season to taste. This is best when the potatoes are really cooked that it renders as a thickening agent.  When it is almost done, add the bell pepper.



My version

As a variation (because of the versatility of the ingredients). If you add basil and other herbs it will have italian flavors cumin will be mexican. etc.

De: Thank you so much for taking the time to send this. I love how you write...even with a simple message as below, you have a way with words. I had to look up the definition of viand (an item of food)!