Tocanita


Ingredients:
 - 3 pounds of onions
 - 2 cups of chicken meat
 - Half of a green bell pepper
 - 1 large tomato
 - Spices: salt, pepper, chili pepper, thyme, and bay leaves.
 - Fresh dill or parsley
 - Cooking oil

Preparation:
 - Dice the onions, and fry in oil on medium heat until they start falling apart (about 1 hour).  We need them cooked thoroughly - they'll form a yummy sauce for the dish.
 - Cut the chicken into cubes, and add to the recipe.  Turn the heat to high, and cook for about 10 minutes.
 - Add salt, pepper, chili pepper, thyme, and 2-3 bay leaves.  I like to exaggerate a bit with the chili, and make the dish spicy (which compliments well the sweetness of the cooked tomatoes).
 - Chop the bell pepper half and the tomato, and add to the dish.
 - Also, add a couple of cups of water.  Reduce the heat to medium, and cook for another 20-30 minutes.
 - Remove from heat, and add one cup of chopped dill or parsley.
 - Serve warm.

Presentation:
 - The set of colors in the dish can be further extended with strong greens and yellows.  First, top the dish with a bit of fresh chopped dill or parsley just before presenting the dish to the guests.  Then, serve the "tocanita" next to polenta: it adds a nice yellow to the presentation, while also  the taste.
 - It you aimed for a spicy dish, a glass of cold beer goes really well alongside.

1 comment:

  1. Delicious dish!
    Try to substitute chicken breast with chicken gizzard. Great flavor.
    Always served with mamaliga.

    ReplyDelete