Recipe: Macuto Chicken with Sweet and Sour Sauce (Venezuela)

VENEZUELA---MACUTO CHICKEN
Serves 4

2 large chicken breasts, halved, skinned, and boned
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 ripe but firm bananas
1 teaspoon Angostura bitters
3 or 4 ounces cooked ham, thinly sliced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup freshly grated coconut

Sufficient oil for deep frying
Sweet and Sour Sauce (recipe follows)

Lay each chicken breast half between waxed paper and flatten out with a mallot until approximately 1/4 inch thick. Season chicken with a portion of the salt and pepper. Peel, cut bananas in half or into pieces that are approximately the length of the breasts. Sprinkle bitters on sliced ham and wrap around bananas.

Place ham-wrapped bananas on each breast. Roll tightly to enclose filling completely. Secure with toothpicks. (Chicken rolls may be tightly encased in foil and refrigerated up to 24 hours at this point). Dredge breasts in flour, dip in beaten eggs, then roll in coconut. Deep fry each chicken roll 5 to 7 minutes at 375 degrees F, until golden brown and cooked through turning breast in the grease. Drain, remove toothpicks, and serve with Sweet and Sour Sauce.

SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE:

1 cup orange juice
2 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon dark rum
1 teaspoon Angostura bitters

In a small saucepan, whisk together orange juice, vinegar, sugar, and cornstarch. Place pan over heat, bring to a slow boil, and simmer for 1 minutes. Take off heat; pour in rum and bitters. Serve warm.