A throwback to 2018…as we transited the Panama Canal on Gary and Torie’s Hylas, Solitude…I found this recipe in Galley Pirates DRAFTS and thought I would resurrect it. When transiting the Canal, recreational boats rafted up three-abreast, we were each given a Panama Canal Transit Advisor to assist onboard with the passage. And we were given explicit instructions to FEED THEM WELL. They specifically stated “no sandwiches, real meals!” I guess these were the perks of a no doubt low paying job. Their time on board typically would include breakfast and lunch, arriving in Gatun Lake in the middle of the Canal, around dinner time. So we planned an elaborate morning of Breakfast Burritos and Pollo con Piña for lunch. The burritos were so filling we skipped lunch. And so it goes…the Pollo con Piña recipe has been placed in Galley Pirates DRAFTS for seven years!

The Panama Canal Transit Authority keeping watch on port.

This recipe works great in a cruising chef’s favorite pot, the pressure cooker. It can be cooked up in almost half the time using half of your propane. Being at the dock right now, I cooked this chicken dinner in a regular pan.

Pollo con Piña

1 large chicken, cut up
Juice of two limes
1 1⁄2+ teaspoons kosher salt
Fresh cracked pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 stick cinnamon
4-6 allspice berries
1⁄3 cup raisins
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
Hot red pepper sauce, to taste
1⁄4 cup water
1 1/2 cups pineapple chunks
2 tablespoons Medium Dry Sherry

Serve on rice

Cut your chicken up into serving pieces. Place in a bowl and squeeze two limes over the chicken. Sprinkle with Kosher salt and pepper. Marinate for 30 minutes, stirring up the chicken frequently as the lime juice will settle to the bottom.

While that marinates, chop the vegetables and pineapple.

Heat the oil in a large pot, dutch oven or pressure cooker. Once hot, carefully place the chicken pieces, one by one into the hot oil using tongs. And an oven mit. I learned this the hard way. There is a lot of moisture on the chicken pieces so the oil can spurt up quickly. Cook chicken over medium heat until brown on all sides, about 15 minutes. Drain fat from skillet.

Add all of the rest of the ingredients except the pineapple and sherry to the pot. Cover and simmer until vegetables are soft and chicken in cooked through, about 30-40 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Add the pineapple chunks and sherry and heat through for 5 minutes more. Serve warm on a bed of rice.

PRINT RECIPE

Pollo con Piña

A wonderfully flavorful Cuban dish with vegetables and pineapple

Author: GalleyPirate

Ingredients

• 1 Large chicken, cut into pieces
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1½+ tsp Kosher salt
• Fresh cracked pepper
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 2 Medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 Medium onion, sliced
• 2 Garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 Stick of cinnamon
• 4-6 Allspice berries
• ⅓ cup Raisins
• 1 tsp Dried Oregano leaves
• Hot pepper sauce, to taste
• ¼+ cup Water
• 2 cups Pineapple chunks
• 2 tbsp Medium dry sherry

Instructions

• Cut your chicken up into serving pieces. Place in a bowl and squeeze two limes over the chicken. Sprinkle with Kosher salt and pepper. Marinate for 30 minutes, stirring up the chicken frequently as the lime juice will settle to the bottom.
• While that marinates, chop the vegetables and pineapple.
• Heat the oil in a large pot, dutch oven or pressure cooker. Once hot, carefully place the chicken pieces, one by one into the hot oil using tongs. And an oven lit. I learned this the hard way. There is a lot of moisture on the chicken pieces so the oil can spurt up quickly. Cook chicken over medium heat until brown on all sides, about 15 minutes. Drain fat from skillet.
• Add all of the rest of the ingredients except the pineapple and sherry to the pot. Cover and simmer until vegetables are soft and chicken in cooked through, about 30-40 minutes. Stir occasionally.
• Add the pineapple chunks and sherry and heat through for 5 minutes more. Serve warm on a bed of rice.

Notes