Recipe of Escabeche de Pollo Arequipeño: Peruvian Chicken in Vinegar Sauce

Ingredients

• For the chicken (4 servings):
• 4 chicken pieces (thighs or leg quarters, about 1 kg)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons wheat flour (for browning)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil for frying
• For the escabeche dressing:
• 1 large red onion (200 g), sliced into thin wedges
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tomatoes (250 g), cut into strips
• ½ cup red wine vinegar (120 ml)
• ⅓ cup vegetable or olive oil (80 ml)
• ½ cup chicken stock (120 ml)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano and 2 bay leaves
• For the side:
• 1 yellow sweet potato (500 g), peeled and cut into thick slices
• 1 corn cob (200 g), cut into pieces
• 200 g cauliflower florets, 1 cup green beans (150 g) and 1 cup fresh peas (150 g)
• 2 carrots (150 g), cut into sticks
• To serve:
• 4 slices white sandwich bread or crusty rolls, botija olives and hard-boiled egg (optional)

Directions

1. 1

   Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, coat them in the flour and shake off the excess.

2. 2

   Heat the 3 tablespoons of oil in a large pan and brown the chicken 6 to 8 minutes per side, until cooked through and golden; set it aside.

3. 3

   Simmer the sweet potato and the corn in salted water for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sweet potato is tender but still whole; drain and set aside.

4. 4

   Blanch the vegetables separately — cauliflower (4 to 5 minutes), carrots (3 to 4), green beans (3) and peas (2 to 3) — in boiling salted water, then plunge them straight into iced water so they stay crunchy.

5. 5

   Make the vinaigrette: mix the red wine vinegar, chicken stock, oregano, bay leaves and salt, then pour in the oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly until it emulsifies.

6. 6

   In the same pan used for the chicken, fry the garlic for 30 seconds, add the onion wedges and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until soft but still firm.

7. 7

   Add the tomato strips and cook for 2 more minutes, just until they start to release their juice.

8. 8

   Pour in the vinaigrette over the onion and tomato, let it bubble for 1 minute and turn off the heat.

9. 9

   Arrange the chicken in a deep serving dish and spoon the hot onion and tomato dressing over it.

10. 10

    Add the blanched vegetables and toss gently so they soak up the escabeche.

11. 11

    Let it rest for at least 30 minutes; ideally 4 hours or overnight in the fridge, so the chicken absorbs the dressing.

12. 12

    Serve at room temperature with the sweet potato slices, the corn and white bread; add botija olives and hard-boiled egg if you like.