Cuban Chicken
You can substitute 3 lb. boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch chunks, for the chicken. The cooking time should be increased to 3 to 4 hours at the high-heat setting or 6 to 8 hours at the low-heat setting.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken, about 4 lb., cut into 8 serving pieces
- 1 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 3 Tbs. olive oil
- 8 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- 3/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 3/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 5 limes)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
Directions
Brown the chicken
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Working in batches if necessary, add the chicken, skin side down, and cook until golden brown underneath, about 7 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook until lightly browned on the other side, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a slow cooker.
Deglaze the pan
Pour off all but about 1 Tbs. of the fat from the fry pan and return the pan to medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sauté just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in the orange and lime juices. Increase the heat to high, bring to a boil and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the pan bottom. Pour the contents of the pan over the chicken.
Cook the stew
Add the bay leaf, spread the onion on top and sprinkle with the 1 tsp. salt. Cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 hours or on low for 5 hours according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Transfer the chicken to a serving dish. Adjust the seasonings of the sauce with salt and a generous amount of pepper. Spoon the onions and sauce over the chicken, garnish with the parsley and serve immediately, passing the lime wedges at the table. Serves 6.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Series, Slow Cooker, by Norman Kolpas (Oxmoor House, 2007).