Chicken Afritada

Chicken afritada is a popular Filipino Sunday dinner dish eaten with rice and more rice. Perhaps it has been around for centuries now but it remains popular in Filipino dinner tables. It is Spanish in origin but we Pinoys have transformed it into something truly our own I'm sure the Spaniards will not be able to recognize it. Just like the adobo, I'm sure every family will have their own version and I happen to have my own too. Maybe mine is not completely unique but of course I have to have my own.

I marinate the chicken overnight in 7Up, light soy sauce, garlic, kalamansi or lime juice then throw in the kalamansi or lime peel (the peel will need to be removed the following day, it has already done its job which is to add aroma) and then I add some finely minced cloves of garlic, a generous pinch of pepper, a couple of bay leaves, and a pinch of dried oregano and paprika. I then brown my chicken in a mixture of olive oil and butter, throw in some chopped onion and deglaze the pan with sherry. I add the marinade and reduce it to about half before I add crushed tomatoes and then the usual potato, red bell pepper strips and peas except I use fava beans, I just like them better. Then, I just let it cook and take care of itself. I serve mine with the traditional rice, but I'm sure this would be good with some crusty bread and maybe some red wine.