Pollo en Fricasé Recipe (2024)

You can still go alcohol free and cook with wine. The heat from cooking evaporates the alcohol, usually within minutes, leaving only the richness. If you’ve ever seen a too chef sauté and the pan is in flames, that’s because wine was added at very high heat. The flames are the alcohol burning off, dramatically! Wine adds a particular flavor (sugars, fermented grape, etc) to cooking that is difficult to replicate, especially when slow cooking like this recipe. Feel free to safely cook with wine!

This dish is delicious and very low maintenance. Didn't want to use wine as we are going alcohol free. Subbed a cup of water with half a lemon squeezed instead. Came out great, not lemony.

This is a Cuban recipe as well. I grew up eating fricase de pollo. Fricasé is a word incorporated from the Haitian population who lived in the the east side of Cuba. As an adult I made several modifications including not using tomate sauce and using carrots instead of potatoes. It is delicious anyway.

Charlie's point that the alcohol burns off is true, but that leaves an open bottle of wine to finish off. Stick with your method, which is fine.

Last week I was craving this dish, which my mother used to make, and I made it for our Sunday dinner. My mom never used wine (or vinegar, i don't think). I used chicken broth. The absence of sofrito in this recipe made me re-read it. And I went the extra mile and made arroz amarillo instead of white rice. It was delicious and took me back to a simpler time.

Pimientos from a can or jar can be added at the end. You can also add prunes . It gives you a sweet taste instead pf salty.

Sorry to say that the idea of the alcohol "burning off" during cooking is mostly false. Some does, but some/most usually stays. For an explanation see:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooking_with_alcohol#Alcohol_as_cooking_fuel

Re wine. If you are taking medication for alcohol addiction,the sulfates in the wine remain after cooking and you will feel sick.

Cooking does NOT burn off all alcohol. This article from Idaho State University cites a USDA study that shows it takes more than 2.5 hours of cooking to burn off more than 95%. This recipe cooks for about 40 min. after adding wine, so about 30% remains. (In case the link gets stripped out, just Google USDA COOKING ALCOHOL or check Wikipedia's article on cooking with alcohol.)https://www.isu.edu/news/2019-fall/no-worries-the-alcohol-burns-off-during-cookingbut-does-it-really.html

No need to add salt; capers and olives provide enough salt to this dish. Otherwise perfect recipe, quick snd tasty.

In Puerto Rican food? Omitting cumin is just impossible.

Probably a tad of oregano and bay leaf would sub in well, just don’t overdo the bay leaf - it can be bitter...

Lemon or lime juice, or a bit of sumac instead of vinegar. I find vinegar literally sickening.

I have been sober for 8 years and cook with wine often. I get small boxes of wine, usually bandit brand, use what I need for the recipe the put the rest in the freezer! It’s easy to leave on the counter for a few min and use in the next recipe. Always have a red and white on hand and they keep for a long time

Excellent flavors. I used whole chicken legs since that is what I had in the freezer. I also added more olives and capers. Simple to put together, and all it takes is time.

Made this per recipe after it had been parked for a long while in my box and found we enjoyed it so much more than expected. (Why it stayed 'parked'.) Only cook's note I'd offer is be mindful of the salt. That is where I did not follow the recipe and used substantially less. Like maybe 1 tsp (Diamond Crystal) v the 1 1/2 tbsp specified. Keep in mind capers and olives are both going to add salt to the dish. Good reheated too if you're gentle with the potatoes.

OMG, cut the salt at least in half. Olives and capers also add saltiness. Good recipe after thinning to reduce saltiness.

I have done several renditions of this dish. They all turned out deliciously! Beer or wine are equally good. I use several veggies instead of potatoes. Last night I used butternut squash, cabbage and cauliflower. served with cauliflower rice. I am thinking about making it with pork shoulder chunks instead of chicken.

Great dish. Used boneless/skinless thighs. Vermouth instead of white wine. Added carrots. Will make again.

Next time I would brown the meat and deglaze with wine/vinegar for some more flavour. Prob leave the skin on for this part. Otherwise nice and quite easy for a weeknight

Fantastic. I followed it to the letter but made a beginner's mistake of using regular salt instead of kosher salt, didn't realize until too late so I had to throw the sauce away, wash the chicken and start again. I also didn't realize that tomato sauce is not the same as the tomato paste I bought in the supermarke. So I just used watered-down paste. It still came out great.

Agree with Food Sage. I have my original copy of Nitza Villapol's Cocina Criolla, with yellow pages and very dog-eared, from the 1950's. Those that claim it was "originally" published later are incorrect. Still have my father's handwritten dedication in the book. Cuba has already lost so much, do not continue to rob it.

My Puerto Rican husband said the house smelled like his mom was cooking. To make it more like my MIL I added 6 leaves of recao (culantro), increased the cumin to a heaping teaspoon, and added a scant tsp of dried Mexican oregano.

Used boneless, skinless thighs, 3.25lbs. Reduced salt to 1 TBS. Cut potatoes into half moons. Served with brown rice (out of white) but wasn't a fan. Crusty bread or polenta next time! Will make again and perhaps add some spinach and more olives.

Have made this easy, delicious dish a couple of times. Removing the skin results in a tasty non-fatty sauce. With capers and olives included in this recipe, adding only 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt to the sauce is enough for my taste. Doubled the cumin and ground pepper. Might want to cut the potato rounds in half so they cook more quickly. In Step 4, keep covered for only 20 minutes or so, and then uncover so that the extra liquid boils off as the cooking completes. A keeper.

I wouldn't say the alcohol necessarily evaporates in "minutes". Served cheese fondue to our family once - about 10-15 min for wine to evaporate while the cheese melts. Then tested the kids with a breathalyzer (long story). Kids were 0.02 and 0.03. Surprised me.

Made this recipe as is - was delicious! My Puerto Rican husband loved it.

Very good, low maintenance dish. Next time I will add a touch of salt as we had cotton mouth all night after eating.

Used 1 squeezed lemon and 1 cup of water in place of wine. First time used champagne vinegar because that's all I had and it was way too vinegary. White wine vinegar is the way to go. Could try with broth as well if I didn't have any white wine vinegar. It would be better than another type, I think. Only used 1.5 tsp of salt and it was plenty.

I have made this recipe several times and it is a hit with my family. I cook it exactly as the recipe indicates and it is delicious. I serve it with Black Beans and Rice (I live in Miami) with some hot, crusty Cuban bread. Perfect Sunday Dinner.