Chicken Afritada

Ingredients

Measure and prepare everything before you begin cooking.

• 1 kg bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
• 1 tsp fine salt, divided
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 2 tbsp neutral cooking oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 400 g tomato sauce
• 1½ cups chicken stock
• 2 medium potatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 large carrot, cut into chunks
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
• ½ cup green peas
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp brown sugar, optional

Instructions

1. 1

   Pat the chicken dry and season all over with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Prepare the vegetables before heating the pot so the chicken does not wait after browning.

2. 2

   Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in batches, skin-side down first, for about 4 minutes per side. Transfer it to a plate; it will finish cooking in the sauce.

3. 3

   Lower the heat to medium. Cook the onion with a pinch of the remaining salt for 3 minutes. Add the garlic for 30 seconds, then stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.

4. 4

   Pour in the tomato sauce and stock, scraping the browned bits from the bottom. Add the bay leaf and fish sauce, return the chicken and any juices, and bring to a gentle boil.

5. 5

   Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Add the potatoes and carrots, then simmer partly covered for another 15–20 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the chicken reaches 75°C at its thickest part.

6. 6

   Add the bell pepper and peas for the final 4–5 minutes. Taste the sauce before adding the remaining salt, pepper or optional sugar. The sauce should be savoury and tomato-rich, not overly sweet.

7. 7

   Remove the bay leaf and rest for 5 minutes. Serve with steamed rice and spoon the vegetables and sauce around the chicken.