Pollo cubano with fried eggs and plantains
An oddity to us, perhaps – chicken, eggs and something that tastes like bananas – but this is such a satisfying dish (though, admittedly, I do not always choose to have the egg). It’s a doddle to make with leftover chicken (just heat it in a frying pan, then add it to the rice) but so good with juicy fried thighs, as here. Embellish freely. Try the Smashed avocado, the Avocado salsa and – a must for me – Chilli sauce.
Oh, before you complain that there are rather a lot of pans involved: sometimes it’s worth it.
Ingredients
- 200 g 7oz long-grain rice
- 3 tbsp groundnut or sunflower oil plus more to fry the eggs and plantains
- 250 g 9oz tomatoes, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 4 spring onions chopped
- 2 red chillies halved and finely sliced (I don’t deseed them)
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- salt and pepper
- 4 skinless boneless chicken thighs
- 2 ripe plantains
- juice of 3 limes
- 6 small eggs
- 3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
Instructions
- Put the rice into a saucepan and add water to come just 2.
- 5cm (1in) above the level of the rice.
- Bring to the boil, then boil vigorously until the surface looks ‘pitted’, as if the rice has lots of little holes in it.
- Reduce the heat to very low, cover and cook for about 15 minutes.
- Make sure the rice doesn’t scorch on the base of the pan.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan and cook the tomatoes for about five minutes.
- Add the garlic, spring onions, chillies, oregano and cumin and cook for another two minutes.
- Cover and leave in the pan.
- Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in another frying pan.
- Season the chicken thighs and cook them over a medium-high heat to get a good colour on both sides, then reduce the heat and continue until they are cooked through.
- It will take about eight minutes in all.
- Cut into strips and keep in the pan (covered) so they stay warm.
- Heat enough oil in a frying pan to come to 2cm (¾in) deep.
- Peel the skins from the plantains and slice into rounds about 1cm (½in) thick.
- When a drop of water sizzles in the oil, add the plantain slices and cook until the undersides are golden brown.
- Turn and cook on the other side until golden and slightly caramelized at the edges.
- It takes about five minutes in all.
- Lift out with a slotted spoon and put on to kitchen paper to soak up excess oil.
- Pat the top of the slices too.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper and squeeze on the juice of one of the limes.
- They can sit happily while you fry the eggs.
- Add the drained rice and chicken to the pan with the tomatoes.
- Heat through well while you fry the eggs.
- Stir the coriander into the rice mixture and squeeze on the remaining lime juice.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Serve the chicken and rice with the plantains and eggs.