Recipe(tried): Puerto Rican Menu

Puerto Rican Men :Gladys/P.R.

Chicken Cracklings; Green Pigeon Peas and Carrot Salad; Fish Steaks Marinated in Recaito. This recipes are adapted to my personal taste and simplified. I hope they convey the new Puerto Rican cooking. Enjoy.

Chicken Cracklings:
4 pounds of chicken parts, cut in small pieces,
Adobo Criollo (as sold in latin markets) to taste
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1/2 cup rum or white wine
2 tb sour orange
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tb. paprika ( or less, to taste )
2 tsp salt
1/4 cup canola oil (for frying)

Sprinkle the chicken with the Adobo Criollo and rub with the garlic. Marinate in the rum and the sour orange for 30 minutes. Drain. In a plastic bag, combine the flour with the paprika and salt and dredge the chicken pieces. Heat the oil
until hot, but not smoking and fry, a few pieces at a time until golden . Serve.
Serves 6

Pigeon Peas and Carrot Salad:

2 cans of green gandules Goya, drained
2 lbs carrots, peeled and diced
1/2 cup vinegar
1 cup olive oil
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped cilantrillo (chinese parsley)
1 onion chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 tsp salt
ground pepper to taste
1/2 tsp dried oregano

Drain the gandules and cool. Blanch the carrots for 5 mins. in boiling water. Drain and cool. Combine the remaining ingredients with the gandules and carrots. Let the salad marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Serves 6 to 8

Fish Steaks Marinated in Recaito:

Marinade:
1/2 cup olive oil
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup Sofrito ( can be bought in Latin Markets or prepared with onions, green peppers, pimientos, garlic cloves, cilantrillo and green pitted olives, all chopped by hand or processed in a food processor )
1/4 cup tomato juice or 1 chopped tomato
2 tb sour orange juice or 1/2 cup white wine

6 halibut or swordfish steaks

Sauce:
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup guava nectar
2 garlic cloves crushed
1 tb. mustard
2 tb. olive oil
1 red bell pepper, sliced for garnish
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, for garnish

Combine marinade in bowl. Add the fish and refrigerate for 3 hours. Turn the steak frecuently.
Prepare the Sauce. Melt the butter and add the remaining ingredients, except the oil, bell pepper and cilantro, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced to 2/3 cup. Set Aside.
Drain the fish and discard the marinade. Heat the oil and saut the fish until browned on both sides. Serve the fish in a platter with the sauce over it. Sprinkle for garnish with the bell pepper and cilantro.