COSTA RICA - CHICKEN RICE with GARBANZO PORK and ENSALADA DE REPOLLO

 

Located on the Central American isthmus (a thin land bridge connecting North and South America), Costa Rica is a country like no other. Celebrated for its rich biodiversity and environmental leadership it is a land where misty cloud forests meet active volcanoes and rare tropical plants, wild sloths and endangered toucans still thrive. Nestled between its larger Central American neighbours Nicaragua and Panama, Costa Rica is also ocean-blessed having abundant coastlines facing both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. 

Indigenous Costa Ricans had nurtured a communal system of food growing that was grounded in seasonality and sustainability for thousands of years before Europeans arrived in the 1500s. The cultivation of maize, beans and squash lay at the heart of their plant-based food culture. Then, out of the blue, Spanish ‘explorers’ arrived. Colonists from Spain soon followed, introducing rice, cattle, sugarcane, and new cooking methods such as frying and stewing, that set the stage for a slow boil on Costa Rica’s evolving culinary culture.

3 centuries later in the 1800s, when Spanish food practices were embedded in Costa Rican kitchens, a new culinary wave landed. Again, almost out of the blue, large numbers of Afro-Caribbean people arrived from Jamaica to help build Costa Rica’s railway system. These new families stayed on in Costa Rica, building communities along the Caribbean coast and bringing with them their vibrant culinary traditions featuring coconut milk, plantains, and warm spices that continue to define the region’s distinctive coastal cuisine today.

Modern Costa Rican cuisine sits at an intersection of Indigenous culinary roots, Spanish colonial influence, and Afro-Caribbean flavours. Rice, beans and fresh vegetables are balanced alongside grilled meats, gently seasoned with herbs and the iconic Salsa Lizano, Costa Rica’s signature flavour layer which has a similar yet sweeter backbone to Worcestershire Sauce. Tropical fruits and fresh seafood round out the table of a food culture that celebrates a close connection to nature, where food is more than nourishment. Where food is a way of life that celebrates resilience; the resilience to make do and enjoy what you have, to made it fresh and share it, and to value food for its constancy.

our

COSTA RICAN
menu included

CHICKEN RICE 

with

 GARBANZO PORK

and 

ENSALADA DE REPOLLO

with

Corn tortillas

 

ARROZ CON POLLO - CHICKEN & RICE 

INGREDIENTS 

Rice:

·      2 cups long grain rice, rinsed and dried

·      4 cups chicken stock

·      2 tbs sunflower oil

·      2 carrots, peeled and cut in 2/3mm thin slices or short matchstick shape

·      1 tsp annatto (or replace with ½ tsp turmeric and ½ tsp smoked paprika)

·      Salt to taste (approximately 1 tsp)

·      1/2 cup fresh or frozen (defrosted) peas

 Chicken:

·      500 gm (1 lb) de-boned chicken thigh meat cut in 3-4 cm chunks

·      2 tbs  sunflower oil

·      2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and crushed

·      1 stick celery, washed and diced

·      1 tsp cumin powder 

·      1 tsp oregano powder or 1 tbs fresh oregano leaves, washed and chopped 

·      Salt & pepper to taste 

Sauce:

·      1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped

·      1 red capsicum/bell pepper, de-seeded and finely chopped

·      1 ripe tomato,  diced

·      2 tsp Salsa Lizano (or use1tsp Worcestershire sauce +1 tsp brown sugar)

·      4 tbs tomato paste

·      2 tbs fresh cilantro (coriander), finely chopped

·      some extra sprigs of cilantro for garnishing - optional

METHOD:

Prepare the Rice: 

1.    Heat oil to medium temp., in a medium sized saucepan that has a lid 

2.    Add rice stirring often with a wooden spoon until rice is slightly toasted

3.    Now stir in the carrots, annatto, and salt and let the annatto fragrance release a bit before stirring in the chicken stock

4.    Bring mix to a boil over medium high heat using the wooden spoon to bring all the flavours up from the pot bottom and stopping the rice from sticking

5.    Once the bottom is clean and the pot is really bubbling, cover saucepan with a tight-fitting lid and let is simmer for 10 mins

6.    Now turn off heat and leave rice in the covered saucepan for at least 10 minutes to steam or until ready to serve

Whilst the rice is cooking prepare the Chicken and Sauce: 

7.    Heat vegetable oil to medium high heat in a large-size saucepan 

8.    Add chicken, salt, pepper, garlic, oregano, cumin, and celery, stirring often until chicken is evenly golden brown and half cooked, about 15 mins

9.    Now turn the browned chicken and herbs out of the pot into a bowl

10.         The empty hot pot will now be used to make the sauce 

11.         There should be enough fat left in the pot to sauté the onions and red   

      peppers. If not add a splash of oil and sauté on medium heat for 5 mins

12.         Add in the tomato, Salsa Lizano and salt and sauté for 5 mins  

      using a wooden spoon to carefully scrape up any crisp bits on the    

      bottom of the pot that have been left by sautéing the chicken and onions

13.         Stir in tomato paste and simmer until sauce is ready, about 10 mins

To complete the dish:

14.         Add the chicken back into the sauce pot and simmer for 15 mins or until 

      the chicken is cooked through and tender

15.         Add peas and cook uncovered for 2-3 minutes 

16.         Stir in the fresh cilantro, turn off the heat under the pot and let the pot  

      sit for a minute for the fresh herb’s flavour to bloom into the sauce 

      whilst you take the lid of the rice pot and use a fork to fluff up the rice  

      then fold the rice evenly through the saucy chicken and serve

PORK GARBANZO BEANS

INGREDIENTS:

·      500 g boneless lean pork, e.g. blade/forequarter/shoulder cut in 5 cm cubes

·      450 g dried garbanzo beans (chickpeas) – or 2 x 400gm canned (see note)

·      1 red capsicum, de-seeded and chopped in  1cm dice

·      2 medium onions, peeled and chopped in 1 cm dice

·      1 celery stalk, washed and chopped in 1 cm dice

·      1 tbs fresh parsley, chopped finely

·      60 mL (¼ cup) sunflower oil or vegetable oil

·      2 tsp chicken stock powder or 2 chicken stock cubes (see note)

·      2 medium carrots, peeled and cut in bite size pieces (about 2 cm)

·      4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in 2-3 cm

·      Salt, to taste

·      1 tsp annatto/achiote or replace with  ½ tsp turmeric + ½ tsp sweet paprika 

NOTE:  If you are using canned chickpeas the preparation time for this recipe is reduced by more than 24 hours and the dish can be made in a single day. Skip steps 1 to 3 all together and simply open the cans of chickpeas and drain off the liquid and discard it as it could be too bean-flavoured and salty and overpower the flavours of the recipe. Then, at step 7 replace the 2 cups reserved garbanzo cooking liquid and 2 tsp chicken stock powder/cubes with 2 cups chicken stock

METHOD:

1.    Prepare the dry Garbanzos by soaking them in1 litre water for 24 hours

2.    Drain and rinse the beans, then cook in fresh water until tender approx., 60–90 mins

3.    Reserve 2 cups of the cooking liquid and discard the rest

4.    Now begin cooking the Pork and Aromatics

5.    Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat and sauté the onions, red capsicum and celery in the oil until golden, about 5 mins

6.    Add the pork and cook until evenly browned, about 10 mins

7.    Now, stir in the reserved garbanzo liquid, chicken stock cube, and chicken stock powder (or 2 cups chicken stock), season with salt and bring to simmer using the wooden spoon to scrap up flavours from the pan bottom

8.    Once the pan is simmering well stir in the carrots and potatoes and continue simmering until the pork is tender and the vegetables are soft but not mushy (approx., 20–30 minutes)

9.    Stir in the garbanzos, chopped fresh parsley and annatto (or substitute) and gently cook 5 minutes to combine flavours then serve hot with  rice

COSTA RICAN CABBAGE SALAD (ENSALADA DE REPOLLO) 

INGREDIENTS 

·      ½ medium head green cabbage, finely shredded

·      1 medium carrot, peeled and julienned or grated

·      ½ small white onion, peeled and thinly sliced

·      1 small tomato, sliced or chopped

·      Juice of 2 fresh limes 

·      4 tbsp olive oil 

·      Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

·      1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped (or less if you like)

METHOD

1.    Start by preparing the dressing

2.    Take a medium sized clean jar with a tight fitting lid (or similar container) and tip in the lime juice, olive oil salt and pepper. Screw on the lid and give the jar a good shake then set aside for the flavours to combine

3.    Shred the cabbage and carrot, slice the onion, and chop the tomato

4.    Combine the vegetables in a large bowl

5.    Shake up the resting dressing jar and pour the dressing over the bowl of vegetables then gently toss everything together until well coated

6.    Let the salad sit for 15 minutes so the lime juice softens the cabbage slightly and gently takes the ‘bight’ out of the onion slices

7.    When ready to serve toss through the chopped cilantro leaves, taste and if necessary adjust the seasoning with more salt/pepper/lime juice/ olive oil  

These are  all Q-ZINE original recipes informed by multiple sources including but not limited to:

http://costarica.com/recipes/arroz-con-pollo-chicken-rice

https://www.costaricaguides.com/articles/recipes/arroz_con%20_pollo

https://www.thepuravidahouse.com/arroz-con-pollo

https://www.twoweeksincostarica.com/arroz-con-pollo-recipe

https://www.crsurfzone.com/costa-rica-recipes

https://www.recetasdecostarica.com/2021/09/garbanzos-con-costilla

https://www.recetascostarica.com/recetas/plato-principal/garbanzos-con-carne-de-cerdo

https://www.vacationscostarica.com/culture/indigenous-cuisine

https://www.cookingincostarica.com/typical-ingredients