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Escabeche de pollo
Pollo en escabeche: chicken simmered with carrot, onion, bay and peppercorns in oil and vinegar, then jarred and eaten cold
Pollo en escabeche is a home classic in Córdoba and Buenos Aires, a legacy of Spanish preserving that Argentines make on a Saturday to eat cold all week. It comes out of the fridge for a picada before the asado, as a summer lunch with a green salad and crusty bread, or packed for a day in the sierras. Chicken is browned, then gently cooked in oil and vinegar with carrot, onion, red pepper, garlic, bay and black peppercorns, and left to rest at least a day. The meat turns tender and lightly tangy, the carrots keep a little crunch, and the oil carries the flavour of bay and pepper. Because garlic sits in oil, safety matters: the liquid is half strong vinegar (at least 5% acidity, never diluted beyond what the recipe says), and the jar always lives in the fridge, never on the shelf. Eat it within 5 days. The common mistake is letting it boil hard, which makes the chicken dry and stringy; it should barely tremble. It is ready the next day, when the chicken tastes seasoned right through and the oil has turned golden. Chef's tip: take it out 20 minutes before serving so the oil melts back to liquid.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the escabeche
- 2 ¼ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighscut into 4 cm pieces
- 2 tsp salt
- ¾ cup sunflower oil
- 3 carrotscut into thin rounds
- 2 onionscut into thin half-moons
- 1 red bell peppercut into strips
- 6 garlic cloveshalved
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- ¾ cup white wine vinegarat least 5% acidity
- ½ cup water
- 1 tsp sweet paprika (optional)
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Sterilise a 1.5 litre glass jar (or two smaller ones) and lid: wash in hot soapy water, rinse, then dry in a 250°F oven for 10 minutes. Cool fully.
Step 2: Pat 2 ¼ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs dry and season with 2 tsp salt.
3 minStep 3: Heat 3 tbsp of the 2 ½ tbsp sunflower oil in a wide, heavy pan over a medium-high heat and brown the chicken in two batches until golden on the outside, 3 minutes per batch. It doesn't need to be cooked through yet.
6 minStep 4: Lower the heat to medium, add 3 carrots, 2 onions and 1 red bell pepper and stir until the onion turns glossy and starts to soften, 5 minutes.
5 minStep 5: Return the chicken and add 6 garlic cloves, 4 bay leaves, 1 tsp black peppercorns and 1 tsp sweet paprika if using. Stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
1 minStep 6: Pour in the remaining ¾ cup sunflower oil, ¾ cup white wine vinegar and ½ cup water. Bring just to a simmer, then cover and cook over a low heat, barely bubbling, until the chicken is cooked through (167°F in the centre) and the carrots are tender but still firm, 25 minutes.
25 minStep 7: Taste the liquid: it should be clearly sharp and salty. Leave to cool in the pan, uncovered, for 1 hour.
2 minStep 8: Pack the chicken and vegetables into the jar and pour over the liquid so everything is covered. Close and refrigerate at least 24 hours before eating.
5 minStep 9: Serve cold or just cool, with some of the vegetables and oil spooned over. Keep in the fridge and eat within 5 days, using a clean spoon. Throw it away if it smells off, fizzes, looks slimy or grows mould.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 31 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does escabeche de pollo take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of carrots?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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