Poultry

Chicken and Eggplant Sofrito Draft

Name: Chicken and Eggplant Sofrito
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 3 h
Ingredients: 1 cup olive oil (plus more as needed for frying); 2 large onions (peeled and cut into eighths); 8 cloves garlic (peeled and coarsely chopped); 2 large eggplants (sliced into rounds about ½ inch (1.5 cm) thick); 4 chicken leg quarters; 2 large potatoes; 3 large carrots; salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 cup chicken broth (from soup powder is fine)

A sofrito I cook slowly in one pot, with layers of browned chicken legs, fried eggplant, onion, potatoes and carrots in chicken broth.

Prep1 hr
Cook1 hr 30 min
Rest30 min
Total3 hr
KashrutMeat

What you need

Amount:×1

1 cup olive oil, plus more as needed for frying
2 large onions, peeled and cut into eighths
8 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 large eggplants, sliced into rounds about ½ inch (1.5 cm) thick
4 chicken leg quarters
2 large potatoes
3 large carrots
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chicken broth, from soup powder is fine

How I make it

Salt the eggplant slices and leave them in a colander for 30 minutes to release their liquid.
Meanwhile, brown the onions in ⅓ cup of the oil in a large, wide pot.
When the onions are golden, add the garlic and stir for about 1 more minute. Lift out with a slotted spoon into a bowl.
Brown the chicken legs well on both sides in the oil left in the pot. You can partly cover the pot to keep the oil from spattering the stove.
When the chicken is golden, lift it out with a slotted spoon into the bowl.
Add a little more oil to the pot. Rinse the eggplant slices and dry them well with a kitchen towel.
Fry the eggplant in the hot oil until browned on both sides, in 2 or 3 batches, adding more oil as needed.
Lift the eggplant out with a slotted spoon into a separate bowl from the chicken and onions.
Peel the potatoes and cut into large chunks. Peel the carrots and slice into rounds about ½ inch (1.5 cm) thick.
Put the potatoes and carrots in the pot and pour the broth over them. Season with pepper and stir.
Layer half the fried onion and garlic over the vegetables, then half the eggplant. Leave behind the oil the eggplant released into the bowl.
Lay the chicken on top, then the rest of the onion and the rest of the eggplant.
Cover and gently swirl the pot so the broth at the bottom washes over everything.
Cook, covered, over low heat for 1½ hours.

What I've learned

The oil spatters when I brown the chicken, so I'm careful.
After frying, the pot is almost dry, because the eggplant soaks up all the oil.

Source: ChefEf (chefef.com)