Easy Low-Carb Puerto Rican Pollo Fricasse

One of my favorite recipes growing up was pollo fricasse-succulent dark chicken pieces and tender, starchy potatoes in a savory orange-golden sofrito sauce. It was almost indescribable. The best part was sopping up the sauce with fluffy grains of white rice. Oh boy. How I miss those potatoes and that sauce! But with Atkins, for the first several phases you must forego grains and high-carb foods. I swapped out the potatoes for kale in my recipe. It's chewiness gives the stew more substance, and is a great stand-in. And you can never eat too many greens! Typically you would make your own sofrito in this recipe, but using the frozen sofrito is a welcome shortcut. 

Pollo Fricasse 
Serves 4-5
3 lbs chicken drumsticks
1 14 oz container Goya Sofrito (the frozen, not canned kind), thawed
1 10 oz package chopped kale
2 Tbsp canola oil (or coconut oil)
1 cup water or chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste

~ Sprinkle both sides of chicken drumsticks liberally with salt and pepper. 
~  In a large, wide dutch oven or braising pot, heat the oil over medium heat. When hot and shimmering, add the chicken. Brown on each side for about 5 minutes. 
~ Create a well with the chicken and pour sofrito in the center. Using a wooden spoon, stir the sofrito for a minute or two,scraping the brown bits off of the bottom of the pan. This'll help create extra flavor!
~ Gently toss chicken in the sofrito. Add 1 cup water or chicken broth and stir gently. 
~ Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover with lid. Simmer 30 minutes.  
~ Add kale, sprinkle in more salt and pepper, and stir gently. Replace lid and cook 10 minutes more. 

Serve over rice if you have the luxury, or with a side salad like I did! :-)

xoxo,

Lex