Around the World in Foodventures (Honduras: POLLO CHUCO)

This episode of "Around the World in Foodventures" is brought to you by the Burners Without Borders Fall Newsletter 2021.  In it, there was a call for assistance from Recipes for Resilience 2.0.  You can read the link above for details of what Recipes for Resilience is and what it means to migratory communities -- but essentially they were looking for people to test recipes that will be included in an upcoming cookbook featuring foods from shelters along a migration journey.  I was happy to jump in, and selected Honduran Pollo Chuco -- which is a mustard flavored fried chicken.

It was my job to review the recipe as it was supplied to me, make sure it made sense, cook it, taste it, and then give feedback on where I thought it could be changed and/or improved.  Here is exactly what I did, which incorporates all of the comments and changes that I submitted to the cookbook writers....

INGREDIENTS (for the Fried Chicken):

• 2 pounds of bone-in/skin-on Chicken pieces (white and/or dark meat)
• 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
• ½ teaspoon of Ground Bay Leaves (*I just took some whole ones out of my freezer and minced them myself)
• 1 teaspoon of Oregano
• 1 teaspoon of Roasted Garlic Powder
• 2 teaspoons of Cumin
• 2 Maggi chicken cubes, crumbled
• 1 Tablespoon of Kosher Salt
• 1-½ teaspoons of Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 2 cups of All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Egg
• 3 Tablespoons of Water
• Oil for Deep Frying
• ½ head of Cabbage

INGREDIENTS (for the Dressing):

• 5 Tablespoons of Mayonnaise
• 3 Tablespoons of Tomato Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons of Milk
• 1 Tablespoon of Dijon Mustard
• ½ teaspoon of Ground Coriander
• ½ teaspoon of Roasted Garlic Powder
• ½ teaspoon of Celery Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper (to taste)

INGREDIENTS (for the Pico de Gallo):

• 2 Jalapenos
• 2 - 3 Tomatoes
• ½ of a Red Onion
• ½ of a Yellow Onion

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix together the ½-teaspoon of Ground Bay Leaves, ½-teaspoon of the Freshly Ground Pepper, the 1 teaspoon of Oregano, the 1 teaspoon of Roasted Garlic Powder, 1 teaspoon of the Cumin, 1 Tablespoon of the Kosher Salt, and the 2 Tablespoons of Dijon Mustard. Add water as needed to create a paste and then rub the paste onto the chicken pieces, making sure over cover each piece and trying to get under the skin when possible for maximum flavor. Set aside for 20 minutes to marinate while you prepare the rest of the recipe's components.
2. Mix together the All Purpose Flour with 1 teaspoon of Freshly Ground Black Pepper, 1 teaspoon of Cumin, and the 2 crumbled Maggi chicken cubes.  Set aside.
3. Make the Dressing by whisking all of those ingredients together.  Set aside.
4. Shred the Cabbage and set it aside.
5. To make the Pico de Gallo: Remove the seeds and veins from the Jalapenos and mince them.  Dice the Onions and Tomatoes, and mix them together with the Japapenos.  Set aside.
6. Whisk the Egg together with 3 Tablespoons of Water.  Dip each piece of Chicken in the egg mixture, then dredge each chicken piece in the flour mixture.
7. In a high-walled, preferably cast-iron pot, heat the oil to 350° Fahrenheit (use enough oil that you can completely submerge a couple chicken pieces at at time, but not so much that you risk bubbling oil spilling out of the pan when filled with chicken); then cook the chicken pieces a couple at time until they reach an internal temperature of 155° for white meat or 160° for dark meat.  Rest on a paper towels to absorb excess oil.
8. Assemble plates by creating a bed shredded cabbage and placing a piece of chicken on top.  Serve Pico de Gallo on the side and drizzle some of the sauce over the chicken.

The verdict?  It was delicious!  I especially enjoyed it when I took all the meat off the bones, chopped it up, and mixed it all around with the cabbage and pico de gallo -- getting some of everything in every bite; and for this reason I might opt to use boneless chicken were I to cook this dish again.

I will update this post with a link to the cookbook as soon as its available for purchase, which I am told will be no earlier than Spring 2022.

This post is part of my project: "Around the World in Foodventures" (I decided I want to expand my culinary horizons even further by making the national dish or a popular recipe, or some signature food or traditional meal from every country in the world. Maybe it'll happen alphabetically, or by region, in random order, or something else. I figure if we can't (yet?) travel everywhere, we at least have the luxury of being able to taste it. It’ll be fun and interesting, but obviously, will take a long time to get through -- as I'll only be doing it once a week or so at most. I am chronicling the journey here.)

“If I’m an advocate of anything, it’s to move…Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food.” --Tony Bourdain