Pollo Saltado

Many of us in the United States see the cuisine of Latin America through the lens of our southern neighbor, Mexico. Even there, we are often unaware of the rich variety that lies beyond the border states of Chihuahua and Sonora whence our familiar Tex-Mex and Cal-Mex dishes. In reality, the entirety of the Americas is a melting pot of French, Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese, African, Indians, Poles, English, Irish, Chinese, Japanese, and, of course, the indigenous First Nations people. Peruvian cuisine has a particularly strong Chinese influence blended into its Incan and Spanish foods. Saltado is a stir fry in the Chinese tradition, most often of beef but sometimes, as here, chicken. And, perhaps to the surprise of North Americans, it incorporates the Incas great gift to humanity: potatoes. This is a great way to use up leftover French fries.

Two servings

Ingredients

15 milliliters (1 Tablespoon) vinegar

15 milliliters (1 Tablespoon) soy sauce

15 milliliters (1 Tablespoon) hoisin sauce (or half that amount of honey)

5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) ground cumin

5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) sweet paprika

15 milliliters (1 Tablespoon) aji amarillo paste or diced fresh chile pepper, or to taste

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, sliced into 2-inch strips

75 grams (about 1 cup) French fries, frozen or freshly cooked and cooled.

Salt and pepper to taste

Canola or other light oil as needed, divided use

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 medium red bell pepper, sliced

Steamed rice, to serve

Method

Combine the vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, cumin, paprika, and chili paste in a bowl. Add the chicken and mix to coat. Set aside to marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

If the French fries are fully cooked, simple set them aside to thaw. Otherwise, fry them in a bit of hot oil or in an air fryer and set aside to cool. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil then brown the chicken quickly. In the same pan, stir-fry the garlic and onion for a minute or two then add the red pepper. Continue to stir-fry until the vegetables are softened and the chicken is cooked through. Turn the heat down a bit and add the marinade making sure to cook it thoroughly. Add in the French fries and toss to heat through.