Mrs. Charles Darwin's Fish Croquettes

Sometimes I just pick a cookbook off the shelf and look for a recipe to make from it.  Today's recipe is from Mrs. Charles Darwin's Recipe Book, Revived and Illustrated, by Dusha Bateson and Weslie Janeway.

ISBN: 978-0-9801557-3-0

Like many wives, before and since, Emma Wedgwood Darwin, wife of Charles Darwin, compile a cookery notebook.  ... this book offers a glimpse behind the kitchen and dining-room doors of one of the Victorian era's most eminent families. ... More than a cookbook, Mrs. Charles Darwin's Recipe Book delineates a lifestyle at the top of English society and intelligentsia.   (quoted from inside flap)

I bought the book because I am a Charles Darwin fan of sorts, so when you combine that with cookery and yet more Victoriana information, well, it had to happen.  The production of the book is lovely, with botanical art scattered throughout and reproductions of Mrs. Darwin's recipes in her own writing.  In other words, very pretty and visually appealing.  

The recipes themselves aren't necessarily very different from other Victorian era recipes I've seen before, although some didn't look familiar when I skimmed the book.  I was particularly drawn to the desserts section because like Charles Darwin, I have a sweet tooth.  However for this post, I was well-behaved and chose to make a savory dish.

The fish croquettes recipe appealed to me because it looked fairly straightforward but it also has one twist:  instead of binding the fish flakes together with the usual cooked potato, it uses a very thick white sauce.  Please see page 61 for this recipe.

Fish Croquettes

1 pound (450 g) cooked fish, chilled

1 ounce (30 g) butter

1 ounce (30 g) flour

1/2 cup (125 ml) milk from cooking the fish

1 tablespoon cream

1 egg yolk

Salt and pepper

1 egg, beaten and breadcrumbs for coating

Butter for frying

1. Flake the fish into a bowl, being careful to remove any skin and bones.

2. Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour, cook for 1 - 2 minutes.

3. Add enough of the reserved cooking liquid, stirring constantly to make a thick, smooth sauce.  Let it bubble gently for a few minutes.  Add the cream.

4. Add the egg yolk, give the sauce a quick stir, and remove the pan from the heat.

5. Stir the fish into the sauce and mix gently to combine the two without breaking up the flakes of fish too much.  The mixture should be fairly stiff; it will become more so as it cools.  Let it get cold.

6. When ready to cook, take spoonfuls about the size of an egg and dip them in the beaten egg, then into the breadcrumbs.  Flatten them slightly and fry gently in butter for 8-10 minutes, turning them once.  They are done when crisp and golden on the outside and well heated through.

My Notes

The authors comment that if you don't start with leftover fish, you can poach the fresh fish "in a little milk together with some parsley, a sprig of thyme, and a bay leaf."  Note that if you do start with leftover fish, you still need that milk-based poaching liquid, so plan ahead.  

They also commented that many different kinds of fish can be used; they used smoked haddock and fresh cod.  From this I decided that the big piece of bonita I had would work.  Bonita is a sea fish (I caught it myself!) and has a fairly strong flavor.  Since the authors had used smoked haddock, I felt that a strong flavor wouldn't go wrong.

I didn't have any milk but I did have half-in-half, so I made up a poaching liquid of that with a small bunch of parsley, a sprig of thyme, and a bay leaf.

The liquid and herbs were combined in a pan, then the fish set on top of it.  Since the fish was a big piece, I placed it in the cold liquid.  The whole thing was brought to just the beginning of a boil, then I reduced the temperature to make it have a slow simmer.  After about 4 minutes, I turned the fish pieces over, then cooked it for another 3 minutes.  

The fish was removed from the liquid to drain, and both fish and liquid were allowed to cool.

I used my hands to skin, debone, and flake the fish.  This made it easy to find the bones, pick off the little bits of skin, and to remove the dark red meat that bonita always has.  I have never liked that part and decided it would be best to leave it behind.  I tried to make the flakes large, considering that they would be broken up more when I mixed in the white sauce.

The recipe didn't specify when to add the salt and pepper, so I chose to add 1/4 teaspoon of each to the fish, using forks to toss it in well.

I made the roux in a cast iron frying pan, using a fork to mix the butter and flour well.  It was very thick, and stayed that way even after I mixed in the poaching liquid and egg yolk.  Since I used a half cream/half milk liquid for the base, I did not add the cream listed in the recipe.

The completed white sauce.

I used a rubber scraper and the technique of folding to mix the sauce and the fish together.  This worked well and didn't break the fish flakes up too much.

All together now.  

The mixture went into the refrigerator for about 45 minutes to chill.

In the meantime, I used the leftover egg white and one more egg, all beaten together, to make the egg wash.  

Then I formed the patties.  The authors said this should make 8 to 10 croquettes; I got 9 comfortably-sized ones.  

Fish patties and the breading station.

Each patty was dunked in the egg wash, rolled in breadcrumbs, and placed in the hot butter.  I estimate the butter was about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep.  I kept the butter hot enough to make the food bubble when it went in but was careful to not let the butter burn.  The instructions said to cook the patties gently, and this seemed to achieve that.

The foaming butter did a good job of cooking the sides.

I shifted the patties around as they cooked to make sure they were all getting that golden brown coloring on both sides.  

It took about 8 to 10 minutes to cook them, as the recipe suggested.

Voila!  Croquettes!

The Verdict

We didn't have them as a meal, really.  It was more like a taste test.  I was primarily interested to see what my guest taster thought of them because he didn't know how they were prepared.  I interrogated him at length  : )  and here are his thoughts:

He could taste the fish but also got a definite herbal taste.  This showed me that using the poaching liquid was a good idea -- it put the parsley, thyme, and bay flavors into the dish.  

He could not taste the pepper but thought it might be there in a subtle way.  The salt content was just right.

The texture was nice:  a crunchy exterior with a good interior that was not creamy because "it has some substance."  In fact, he said the "crust is excellent."

It was not greasy or spicy, and was heated through to the center.

He tried them just as they were out of the frying pan, which he thought was very good.

He also tried them with some adornments, and thought they were best with either tartar sauce (homemade with mayonnaise, mustard, capers, sweet pickle relish, and a dash of white wine vinegar) or a sprinkling of lemon juice.  It was okay with a drizzle of a very aged balsamic vinegar but he wasn't as thrilled with that.

The tomatoes were a nice side for the croquettes.

We imagined them being served at a buffet, and we thought they could be topped with a piping of tartar sauce to look more interesting and to make the sauce readily available.

Like this but with a star tip for piping to make it prettier.

We declared it a success!  I think the keys here were using the poaching liquid, keeping the flakes big, and gently cooking the patties.  

The authors commented that they had to be careful or the croquettes would fall apart while cooking.  I did not have that issue.  They were firmly together the whole time and I used a metal spatula below and a fork above to turn them.

The only thing I would change in my process is the chilling time -- the mixture wasn't chilled to the center when I formed the patties, which I think would have been better for handling.  So chill at least an hour, or even longer.  This is a bonus because you could make the mixture in advance of cooking.  What a convenience!

Cebolletas en vinagre -- Pickled Scallions

 I'm still translating and exploring  Encarnación Pinedo's book, El cocinero español.  

Today I am trying a recipe on page 56:

Cebolletas en vinagre.

Se toman cebolletas tiernas y blancas, se despellejan y se les quita la cabeza. Se ponen en vinagre hasta que la vasija quede llena, cubriendolas con estragón, hinojo y pimienta en grano.

Se salan despues y se cierran hermeticamente hasta el momento de servirlas.

Pickled scallions.

Take the tender white part of scallions, skin them and their heads are taken off. They are put in vinegar until the jar is full, covering with tarragon, fennel and ground pepper.

They are salted afterwards and hermetically closed until the moment to serve them.

Plus the pepper, which didn't make it into the picture

My Redaction

4 or 5 bunches of scallions (green onions)

fennel leaves

tarragon leaves

salt

pepper (Miss Pinedo says ground, I used whole)

white wine vinegar

Wash and trim the scallions. Cut off most of the green part.  In a clean jar, put in some fennel, tarragon, and pepper.  Put the scallions into the jar, put in more fennel, tarragon, and pepper.  Cover with vinegar.  Add salt to taste.  

Close jar and store in the refrigerator for at least a week.  

My Notes

I interpreted the directions to "skin" the scallions and "take their heads off" as "trim off the root ends and take off the outer layer if it was dirty, slimy, or otherwise unappealing".  My store-bought scallions didn't need to be skinned except in a few cases.

I cut them to a length that would fit in my quart canning jar.  That included some of the green part but still with enough of the white to keep it "tender."

I didn't know how much fennel, tarragon, and pepper to use.  I wanted their flavor to infuse the vinegar and scallions but not so much as to overwhelm.  So I decided that putting some below and some above would be helpful.

A few pieces of leaves and about 5 peppercorns below

A greater quantity of leaves and about 5 more peppercorns above.

Then I filled the jar with white wine vinegar, which I chose for its mild flavor and mild acid bite.  I added 1/2 teaspoon of salt on top.

I tried to put the scallions in decoratively!

I noticed everything floated and so the tops of the scallions were out of the vinegar.  So once the jar went into the refrigerator, I shook it at least once a day to get the tips covered.

The store where I purchased the scallions also had an item specifically labeled as cebolletas, so I bought some of them to try, too.

The bulbs were at least 1 inch in diameter and I couldn't imagine anyone wanting to bite into that much onion flavor and eating the whole thing in a sitting, so I decided to cut them into rings and pickle those.

I had fewer cebolletas, so I used a pint canning jar.  I put leaves and peppercorns at the bottom, the middle, and the top.  I didn't adjust the quantity downwards for the smaller jar - I expect the herb flavors to be bolder.  Also, I used apple cider vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  It helped to use a spoon to gently pack the rings down into the jar.

This jar went into the refrigerator, too, to wait out its week.  It was also shaken regularly.

The Verdict

Several weeks went by until we tasted them.  

The cebolletas in apple cider vinegar were crisp, flavorful, and had a mild acid bite.  The fennel was a dominant flavor.  My guest tasters liked the acid level but I wanted it diluted, either with water or sugar.  They made a good relish next to roasted meat and on a charcuterie platter.

The scallions in the white wine vinegar were soggy and the acid bite was too strong for me.  The fennel was still the dominant flavor (not a bad thing).  I think I should have not included as much (or any) of the green stem as we all agreed that it was fibrous and you had to really pay attention to how you were biting it to make sure you could get a piece in your mouth.  This was not good.

The majority opinion was that either vinegar would be fine (I still wanted to dilute both and I liked the apple cider vinegar best), the cebolletas were better than the scallions, and the flavor was good.  I would have liked less fennel so I could taste a better balance with the tarragon and pepper.  

Success, especially for the cebolletas.  I would do this again with the scallions and only use the white part.  I would also put in less fennel, more tarragon, and crack the peppercorns.

UPDATE:  No one really wanted to eat the soggy scallions as they came out of the jar.  However, I found that chopping them into about 1/2 inch long pieces and including them in stews is absolutely wonderful.  They add a depth of flavor that is unexpected and they also make the whole dish smell so enticing.  A bonus!

Palace Clamole - a Robust Chocolate Chicken Stew x 2

 My wanderings through Encarnación Pinedo's book, El cocinero español,

have lead me to an interesting section titled "Clamoles."

At first I could not find out what a clamole was, although the recipe read like what is called a "mole".  I found someone online who showed me that the modern spelling is "clemole".  From there, I learned that it's base word is "tlemole" and it is a stew or broth with meat and vegetables, strongly flavored with chiles, onions, garlic, and more.

This particular recipe, the "Palace Clamole" (page 67), has no vegetables.  It is strongly flavored with chiles, cacao, and cinnamon in a tomato base.  I think it is called "palace" because of the specialty flavors and the three different meats, making it fit for royalty.

I made this twice.  Notice there is Redaction #1 and also Redaction #2.

Clamole de Palacio.

Se desvenan y se tuestan tres libras de chile pasilla: á esto se pondrá media libra de cacao colorado, otra media de almendras, ambas cosas bien tostadas, y media onza de canela: se muele el chile con tomates asados y pelados, y en seguida el cacao, la canela y las almendras: todo se frei en manteca y se deshace en agua caliente sin que se corte. La fritura deberá, hacerse juntamente con la carne y chorizos ó butifarras. Se sazona con un terrón  de azúcar. La sal se le pone despues que haya hervido bien el clamole para quo no se corte.

Palace Clamole.

Three pounds of pasilla chiles are deveined and toasted: to this you will put half a pound of red cacao, another half of almonds, both well toasted, and half an ounce of cinnamon: the chile is ground with toasted and peeled tomatoes, and then the cacao, the cinnamon and the almonds: everything is fried in fat and breaks down in hot water without being removed. The frying should be done together with the meat and chorizo or butifarras. It is seasoned with a sugar cube. The salt is added after the clamole has boiled well so that it does not curdle.

My Redaction #1

1 ounce ancho pasilla and California chiles, toasted, deseeded, and soaked

14 ounces plum tomatoes, toasted and peeled

3 ounces slivered almonds, toasted

3 ounces cocoa powder

1 teaspoon (about 1/8 ounce) cinnamon

olive oil, as needed

10 ounces longaniza sausage, cooked and cut into chunks

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Toast the dried chiles until blistered.  Allow to cool then remove stem, veins, and seeds.  Soak in hot water for at least 20 minutes.

The pasilla chiles are really wrinkled.

Toast the tomatoes on a hot skillet or over a low flame until the skin cracks and blisters.  

Then let them cool enough to handle and remove the skin.  Cut out the core end, too.

Cut them into big pieces and blend them with the soaked chiles until smooth.  Add the toasted almonds, cocoa powder, and cinnamon.  Blend well, adding water as needed to keep the mixture moving in the blender.

Remove the casing from the longaniza, break into pieces, and cook in the Dutch oven until firmed.  Use olive oil as needed to keep the sausage from sticking.

Add chicken thighs and brown them a little.  

Add the sauce and a little water.  Stir, bring to a simmer, and allow to cook slowly over very low heat until the chicken is tender and can be shredded with two forks.

Add sugar and salt near the end.

Shred the chicken in the pan using two forks to pull the meat apart.

My Notes

Instead of butifarra sausages, I used longaniza.  That is what I could find at the store.

I tried to toast the tomatoes on a hot skillet but it was taking a long time, so I moved them over the fire on the stove, using tongs to turn them often to blister them all over.  

The sauce was so thick in the blender that I added the water the chiles soaked in to help everything blend.  Adding the cocoa powder made it even thicker, so I kept adding water, but I didn't want to make it too thin.  You can see in the pictures that the whole dish looked thick, but it did simmer.

The Verdict

I served the clamole in bowls and had warmed flour tortillas on the side.  It was garnished with sliced almonds.

It was very tasty, although my critique was:

1. The sauce was too thick
2. The chocolate was too strong; it was hard to taste anything else
3. It needed more salt

It takes a lot to get me to say that there was too much chocolate in the flavor, but it wasn't balanced at all.  I loved the chocolate, but I wanted to have other flavors, too.

There was only a little heat from the chiles; it could have been more and we would have still enjoyed it.  

We really liked scooping some of the clamole into the torn pieces of tortillas and eating them.  The chicken was a nice chewy part and the longaniza added a different texture and flavor to its bites.

But I wanted to do it again.  I kept thinking the sauce should be much wetter, like a simmer sauce.  So here is the second attempt:

My Redaction #2

2 ounces pasilla and California chiles, toasted, cleaned, and soaked

6 ounces whole almonds, toasted

9 ounces pork chorizo

5 ounces pork longaniza

4 1/4 pounds tomatoes, toasted, skinned, and with the core removed

3 ounces cocoa powder

1 tablespoon cinnamon

4 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

2 tablespoons sugar

3 teaspoons salt

My Notes

Basically, I doubled the original recipe but used four times the amount of tomatoes, the same amount of chiles and cocoa powder, three times the amount of cinnamon and six times the amount of salt.

I followed roughly the same procedure, although I didn't brown the thighs.

I had to puree the tomatoes and chiles in batches, and I added all the water the chiles soaked in.  The almonds were whole this time and I had to grind them in batches with the tomato puree so they didn't get too thick.  I mixed the cinnamon and cocoa into the sauce in the Dutch oven instead of trying to mix them in the blender.

The chicken, sausages, and sauce nearly filled my 6 quart (5.7 liter) Dutch oven!  I was cooking a great quantity.  

Everything simmered over a very low heat for about one hour, then I took the chicken out, added the salt and sugar to the sauce, shredded the chicken, and added it back in.  It then simmered for another hour.

After it cooled a bit, I put it in the refrigerator to be served the next day.

The Verdict

I served it garnished with sliced almonds and a small sprinkling of cacao nibs.  Flour tortillas on the side.  

This was much better.

1. The sauce was not too thick; just right, really.
2. The salt was about spot on; it was the eater's choice to add a little more or not.
3. The chocolate level was better.  You could taste it but it didn't blot out everything else and it was balanced well with the cinnamon.
4. One of my guest tasters wanted more heat, the other was fine with it as it was, and I was ambivalent.  I used up the chiles I had on hand and I don't think it would hurt to put in more.
5. The longaniza could have been cut into smaller pieces and there should have been more of it.  The chorizo dissolves into the sauce so it adds flavor but not bites.

You don't have to make such a huge batch (I plan on freezing some of it).  I think the whole redaction #2 could be reduced by half, except you will want to increase the chile quantities and it wouldn't hurt to put in more of the sausages.

Success!

Of the two, I definitely recommend Redaction #2.  Play with the chile quantity to suit your tastes.  If you can find butifarra sausages, try them and let me know how it tastes.

My Latina friend took some for her family.  She thought the clamole was too sweet so she served it like this:  a fried corn tortilla first, with Mexican cream on top of that, then the clamole, then her salsa with jalapenos, onion, tomato, and garlic.  She said they liked it!

A New Blog! The California Food Project

I have an interest in California history as well as history in general.  As usual, I find myself drawn to the history that involves food:  what was eaten and how it was fixed.  This lead me to a desire to learn more about California food history, and thus an idea for a new blog:  The California Food Project.

Click here to see the blog.  The introductory post is listed to the right as a Featured Post.

Let me be clear: I am not an historian nor am I a trained chef or cook.  However I love to learn, and not having a history degree or specialized training will not stop me from exploring this topic.  I don't offer my blog as expert or academic work.  I do it for my fun and amusement, while still trying to be accurate.  I may make mistakes, but they will be honest ones.

I expect that my wanderings will not be linear through the timeline of history.  In fact, I've already started exploring the Rancho period, despite there being other periods before that.  No matter.  I'll try to keep some sort of organization scheme going along with the posts.  

You will see cross-posting between this blog and that one.  I'm already crazy enough to have two food blogs but I'm not so crazy that I won't allow duplication.  : )  The recipes you've seen here from Miss Pinedo's book will be part of my new blog, but more details will accompany them there.

So I invite you to follow the California Food Project.  As with this one, I won't have advertisements or affiliate links.  I do this for fun, not profit.  If you have resources that can help, jump in and tell me!  

Cheesy Chile Relleno Puff - A Most Favorite Redo

The last post of the year is reserved for one of my favorite recipes.  In 2018 I made a chile relleno souffle that was a lot like a favorite recipe I have made for decades.  The reason I used that particular recipe is that I lost the original recipe (several times, actually) but found this version.

Recently I was sorting a stack of handwritten recipes I had received from my mom when she closed down her household.  There I found my original recipe, which I had written for her years ago.  Hooray for Mom!  I knew then I needed to make it again.

I wrote this years and years ago.

Cheesy Chile Relleno Puff   (4 servings)

7 ounce can whole green chiles

4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

6 eggs, slightly beaten

3/4 cup milk

1 tbsp. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp garlic salt

4 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded

That is a white cheddar sitting on top of the Monterey Jack.

In a greased 7" x 11" baking dish, layer split chiles and Monterey Jack cheese.  Combine eggs, milk, flour, baking powder, and garlic salt; mix well.  Pour over chiles, top with Cheddar cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes until puffed and browned.

Serve with Chile Sauce:

8 ounce can tomato sauce

1/4 cup hot picante sauce

1 tsp oregano

(Mix and heat for 5 minutes)

Good with warm flour tortillas or with tortilla chips and guacamole.

Enjoy!

My Notes

I use Ortega or Anaheim chiles as they are mild enough in heat that I can serve it to just about anyone.  They have a distinct flavor that makes this puff tasty.

Also, instead of using garlic salt, I put in 1/4 tsp garlic powder and 1/4 tsp salt.  It is okay to use more.

The layers, in order:

Although I used a glass baking dish, I did not change the temperature of the oven.  Even at 350 degrees F, it took 40 minutes to get the puff browned.

My tastes have changed over the years so I no longer make the Chile Sauce, although it is good. 

I prefer to serve it with a tasty, chunky salsa (I use mild but you could choose hotter), home made guacamole (with seasoned salt and lime juice), and a spoonful of sour cream.

The Verdict

It was very puffy coming out of the oven but settled afterwards.  I suspect my baking powder is getting old as I recall it staying puffy (or at least puffier) when served.  But never mind.  It still looks good and tastes wonderful!

You can't beat the egg, chile, cheese combination.  It is flavorful with a creamy and rich mouthfeel.  The toppings just add to the variety of tastes, and they all work together well.

Think of it as an omelet or fritatta with a Mexican twist.  

You could use more of the chiles to get a thicker layer.  Just be careful not to overwhelm the egg and cheese flavors with them.  

Yellow Cheddar makes this dish more attractive to the eye but the sharp white Cheddar I used was very good.  I think the sharper the Cheddar the better it works with the strong chile flavor.

I laughed at first when I read that it served four:  it is cooked in a big dish for four people.  I thought maybe it should be for eight people.  

But the recipe is right -- four people will probably want to have two pieces each of this flavorful main course, even with side dishes like a good salad or an appetizer like tortilla chips and salsa.  

It is always a success.  Give it a try!

Gallinas estofadas - Braised Chickens

I am enjoying working my way through Encarnación Pinedo's book, El cocinero español.   

Today I am trying her recipe, "Gallinas estofadas", which is Braised Chickens, found on page 22.  It appealed to me because it puts both meat and fruit in the same dish, which is something I always love.  It also grabbed my attention because while I have put raisins in with chicken (for example, sliced apples, raisins, sliced onions with chicken and the covered with broth or apple juice and sprinkled with appropriate spices), I have never put pineapple in with it.

But pineapple should be something I have done because I love sweet-and-sour chicken at Chinese restaurants and they usually have chunks of pineapple included.  

So here goes!

Gallinas estofadas

Se limpia la gallina, se mecha por todas partes con jamón, ajo y clavo, friéndose despues con manteca y sal en una olla.

En seguida se le echa tomate asado y molido, cebollas chicas enteras, ó si fueren grandes, cortadas en cuartos, dejándose freir :  tambien se sazona, cuando está al fuego, con canela, pimienta y clavo molido, almendras, pasas y piña picada ; se cubre la gallina con partes iguales de vino de Málaga ú otro vino generoso y agua, tapándose despues con una servilleta y una cazuela encima con agua ; se deja hervir la gallina hasta que esté perfectamente cocida y quede el caldillo espeso.

Tambien podrá taparse el guiso con una servilleta y una tapadera apropósito, para no permitir que escape el vapor.

Braised chickens.

The hen is cleaned, it is interlarded everywhere with ham, garlic and cloves, then fried with fat and salt in a pan.

Then a roasted and ground tomato is added; whole little onions, or if they are big, cut into quarters, and allowed to fry: it is also seasoned, when it is on fire, with cinnamon, pepper and ground cloves, almonds, raisins and chopped pineapple ; the hen is covered with equal parts of wine from Málaga or another fortified wine and water, then covered with a wet napkin and a saucepan on top; boil the chicken until it is perfectly cooked and the broth is thick.

You can also cover the stew with a napkin and an appropriate cover, so as not to allow the steam to escape.

My Redaction

2 lb, 5 ounces chicken (in this case, boneless, skinless pieces of thigh meat)

     (or a whole chicken; see notes below)

4 ounces cubed ham

1 tsp. chopped garlic

4 whole cloves

1/2 tsp. salt

olive oil

14.5 ounce can stewed tomatoes, coarsely pureed

8 ounces onion, sliced into bite-sized pieces

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground pepper

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

2 ounces sliced almonds

3 ounces raisins

10 ounces fresh pineapple, chopped or cubed (weigh after peeling)

8 ounces port and 8 ounces water

(more salt to taste when finished)

Remove the vermouth and use port instead.

Cook the chicken, ham, garlic, whole cloves, and 1/2 tsp. salt in a large Dutch oven along with the olive oil.  The chicken should be browned.

Add the tomato puree and sliced onion, and fry some more.

Add the cinnamon, pepper, ground cloves, almonds, raisins, and pineapple.  Mix well.  

Add the port and water, or what amount it takes to cover the mixture.  

Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat so the stew barely simmers.  Cover tightly and allow to cook for 2 to 3 hours or until the chicken is cooked to tender.

Chicken, ham, and seasonings browning

Added the tomatoes and onion

Added the spices, fruit, and nuts

Added the port and water

After simmering for a while.

My Notes

Miss Pinedo recommends using a fortified wine that is sweet.  I thought I wanted to use vermouth (and that is why it is in the ingredients picture).  But once I started assembling the stew, I realized that the strong, herbal taste of the vermouth was not right for this recipe, so I switched to the port, which is also a fortified wine.

It wasn't clear to me if she intended the chicken to be whole or cut up.  Interlarding means mixing or layering, and you can do that with either type.  However I didn't have a whole chicken available, so I used big chunks of the thigh meat.  I liked that it was already boneless and skinless.

The tomato seemed the basis for the sauce, so I felt I was still accurate in using canned, stewed tomatoes.  

It also seemed like a long, slow cooking was appropriate, not only to braise a whole chicken but also to give the sauce a chance to thicken.  Although I did wonder how much wine and water would be needed to cover a whole chicken in a pot!  I believe that if you use a whole chicken, you should use the same amount of liquid I used for the stew so that the meat braises.  

I also wondered how the sauce would thicken considering that you aren't supposed to let the steam out.

The Verdict

It cooked through the evening, then I chilled it overnight and reheated it to serve the next day.

I served with with warmed flour tortillas, which were handy for scooping and holding the stew.  Spoons were also useful.  : )

The meat was cooked just right -- tender, just at the point of shredding.  The big chunks of meat (which I didn't cut up in advance) broke up easily with the spoon.  

The pineapple remained in its cubed state, and added a bright acid bite as well as a little chewy aspect.  The raisins were sweet and the onions tender and mild.  The sliced almonds added a nice crunch.

The sauce was wonderful -- the tomatoes, port, and spices blended together well into a rich flavor that supported all the others.  There was a nice, mild burn from the pepper (freshly ground) and the cloves were not too dominant.  

We both wanted more salt on it, which is why I suggest you adjust the salt to taste at the end.  I thought adding more salt brought out the taste of the spices even more.

My guest taster and I loved it.  We agreed the long, slow cooking was just right to get the meat "perfectly cooked" as Miss Pinedo wanted, and although the broth did not get thick, it did get thicker.  

We had the stew for several meals and enjoyed it each time.  

If I was doing this for a whole chicken, I would baste it occasionally while it was braising.

Success!