Culinary SOS: Pollo al Colmao at El Colmao

Dear SOS: El Colmao in Koreatown has the most delicious chicken stew with olives. Could you please get their recipe for El Colmao Chicken? Thank you!

Susan Mooney

Burbank

Dear Susan: Cuban institution El Colmao credits this recipe to “old grandpa Eduardo Sousa.” The specialty features tender, slow-cooked chicken stewed in a Creole-style tomato sauce dotted with green olives and peas and spiced with chile powder.

Pollo al Colmao

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Total time: 1 1/2 hours

Servings: 6 to 8

Note: Adapted from El Colmao. The restaurant serves the chicken with rice and black beans.

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided

1/2 large onion, sliced thinly into half-rings, plus 1 large onion, chopped, divided

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

3 pounds chicken pieces

1 3/4 teaspoons salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon white pepper, divided

3/4 cup dry white wine, divided

1 tomato, seeded and chopped

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

1/4 cup sweet peas

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup chile powder (type can vary, use heat to taste)

1 cup pitted whole green olives, or to taste

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 teaspoons oil over high heat. Add the sliced onions to the oil and sauté, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and continue to cook until the garlic is aromatic and the onions are just beginning to color, about 1 minute more. Remove from heat.

3. Sprinkle the chicken evenly on both sides with three-fourths teaspoon salt and one-fourth teaspoon pepper and place, skin side up and in one layer, over the onions in the Dutch oven. Add one-fourth cup white wine, cover and bake until the chicken is cooked halfway through, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Remove the par-baked chicken (with the onion-garlic mixture and any liquid) to a separate baking dish or bowl.

5. To the Dutch oven, add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and chopped onion and sweat the onions over medium-low heat until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.

6. Stir in the chopped tomato, tomato sauce, tomato paste and sweet peas, along with the remaining one-half cup white wine, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, one-fourth teaspoon pepper, chile powder and olives and bring to a boil over high heat.

7. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and add back the chicken, onion-garlic mixture and cooking liquid to the sauce. Cover and continue to simmer until the chicken is cooked through and tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Each of 8 servings: 340 calories; 29 grams protein; 14 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams fiber; 17 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 82 mg cholesterol; 7 grams sugar; 1,144 mg sodium.

SOS REQUESTS: Send Culinary SOS requests to [email protected] or Culinary SOS, Food section, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. Please include your name, phone number and city of residence.