Criollo Bread Recipes

CRIOLLO BREAD

Steps:

• Place water, yeast and sugar into a small bowl and whisk thoroughly to remove any lumps.
• Place 5 cups of flour into the large bowl.
• Add the water, yeast and sugar to the flour and mix with a wooden spoon.
• The key to this bread is for the dough to be sloppy to start and bring it back to a soft consistency with the addition of the last cup of flour.
• Spread the last cup of flour onto a clean bench and place the sloppy dough on top of the flour.
• Gently knead the dough into the flour.
• Preheat oven to 180°C.
• Grease the muffin tins.
• Cut the dough into 115gm balls and hand knead them in the palm of your hand by folding the sides into the bottom of each bun making sure that the top is smooth.
• Place each bun into the hole of the muffin tin.
• Place the muffin tin into the warming draw to 'prove'.
• This should take approx 35 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size (proved).
• Once the buns have proved remove from the warmer and place onto the middle rack of a hot oven for 15 minutes.
• Once the buns are ready and golden brown remove from the oven flip the buns so they have been slightly removed from the sides of the muffin tins.
• This allows the steam to be released and will stop your from buns from being tainted by the muffin tins.
• Allow to cool.

AJIACO CRIOLLO--CUBAN CREOLE STEW

Steps:

• Make the broth: Cover the tasajo with cold water and soak it for at least 8 hours. (There is no need to refrigerate it.) Change the water and continue soaking for another hour. Drain again and rinse under cold running water. Put the tasajo in a large, heavy pot and add about 6 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 1 hour. Add the pork, beef brisket, and bay leaf, and let the three meats cook together until tender. Remove the pot from the heat and skim as much fat as possible from the broth. (If you have time, the best way is to refrigerate the broth overnight until the fat solidifies and then remove it.)
• Make the Sofrito: Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and saute the onions and green pepper until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Add the pepper, cumin, and tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Add the sofrito to the broth and simmer, covered, while you prepare the vegetables.
• Complete the Dish: Peel the malanga, boniato, name, yucca, and calabaza and cube them. Cut the corn and green plaintains into 1 1/2-inch pieces. With a knife, split the skin of each piece of green plantain and open it away from the center as if you were taking off a coat. Sprinkle the plantain pieces with the lime juice. Slit the semi-ripe and ripe plantains lengthwise and slice them crosswise into 1 1/2-inch rounds. Do not remove their skins or they will disintegrate in the stew. Add the green plantains to the simmering stew. After about 15 minutes, add the semiripe plantains. After another 15 minutes, add the ripe plantains and let them simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Serve hot in soup plates or, cocido-style, with the meats, vegetables, and broth in separate dishes. (Each diner removes the skin from the semi-ripe plantains themselves).

PERUVIAN PICKLED ONIONS (SALSA CRIOLLA)

Steps:

• Fill a bowl with water; stir in salt until dissolved. Add red onions; let soak for 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
• Mix onions, cucumbers, tomato, rice vinegar, lime juice, white wine vinegar, jalapeno pepper, cilantro, olive, and black pepper together in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate at room temperature before serving, about 30 minutes.

CLASSIC CUBAN-STYLE PICADILLO

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir garlic, onion, and green bell pepper in the hot oil until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Crumble ground beef into the skillet; cook and stir until browned completely, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Stir olives, raisins, capers, tomato sauce, sazon seasoning, cumin, sugar, and salt through the ground beef mixture.
• Cover the skillet, reduce heat to low, and cook until the mixture is heated through, 5 to 10 minutes.

POLLO CRIOLLO (DOMINICAN CHICKEN)

Steps:

• Mix the garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper together with the vinegar and white wine. Whisk in the olive oil. Add the chicken pieces, turning to coat well. Marinate in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
• Remove the chicken, wipe off excess marinade and pat dry. Lightly dust each piece with the seasoned flour. Over medium-high heat, warm half of the olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes. Turn and cook for 10 more minutes.
• Remove the chicken and drain on a paper towel, pouring off as much oil as possible. Return the pan to high heat, add 1 cup of water, scrape well and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Set aside.
• In a heavy casserole over medium heat, warm the remaining quarter cup of olive oil. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes, stirring to avoid burning. Add the shallots and garlic and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the broth resulting from the deglazing, as well as the tomato puree, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the olives, sun-dried tomatoes and capers and stir. Simmer for a minute or 2, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Add the chicken, turning each piece so that it is covered as much as possible. Cover and simmer over low heat for 40 to 50 minutes, until a fork inserted into the thigh yields clear juice. Serve with beans and rice.