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Galinha ao molho pardo
Galinha ao molho pardo: chicken stewed in a dark sauce thickened with its own blood and vinegar
Country cooking from the state of Rio and southern Minas Gerais, galinha ao molho pardo (also called galinha de cabidela) is cooked at weekend gatherings with a free-range hen, and served with angu, white rice and okra. The chicken is braised with onion, garlic, tomato and herbs, then the sauce is finished with the bird's blood mixed with vinegar, which turns it dark brown, velvety and savoury, with a gentle sourness. It tastes richer and deeper than an ordinary stew. Buy fresh chicken blood from a licensed poultry butcher or halal butcher, ask for it mixed with vinegar so it does not clot, keep it in the fridge and use it within 24 hours. The usual mistake is boiling the sauce hard after the blood goes in, which makes it grainy; stir it at a gentle simmer instead. The blood must be cooked right through. Chef's tip: temper the blood with a ladle of hot sauce before adding it to the pot.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the chicken
For the molho pardo
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: As soon as you get it home, stir ¾ cup fresh chicken blood with ¼ cup white wine vinegar in a bowl, cover and keep it in the fridge until needed.
Step 2: Rub 4 lb free-range chicken with 1 lime, 3 cloves garlic, 2 tsp salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
30 minStep 3: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy casserole over a medium-high heat and brown the chicken in batches for 4–5 minutes a side until golden.
15 minStep 4: Add 2 onions and the rest of 3 cloves garlic and cook for 5 minutes until soft, then add 2 tomatoes and 2 bay leaves and cook for 5 minutes more.
10 minStep 5: Pour in 2 ½ cups hot water, cover and simmer on a low heat for 35 minutes until the chicken is tender and reaches 165°F at the thickest part.
35 minStep 6: Whisk a ladle of the hot sauce into the blood mixture, then pour it slowly into the pot, stirring all the time.
Step 7: Cook at a gentle simmer for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until the sauce turns smooth and chocolate-brown, coats the back of a spoon and has no trace of red. Don't let it boil hard.
10 minStep 8: Stir in 5 tbsp parsley and spring onion, check the salt and serve hot with angu or rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- Protein
- 44 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does galinha ao molho pardo take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of lime?
- Lemon, same amount.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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