By: Gabriela Franco, Junior
Everyone's Thanksgiving food choices are different, but the way I celebrate Thanksgiving involves a lot of Spanish food. Here are three Spanish Thanksgiving recipes that you should try!
Arroz con Gandules
Everyone has their own way of making Arroz con Gandules (Rice and Beans), but the way I make it is the Puerto Rican version. Here are the ingredients you need to make this delicious dish:
1 Small Onion; Diced
2 Cups Medium-Grain White Rice Uncooked
15 Ounces of Green Pigeon Peas
½ Tablespoon Sazon Completa
4 Ounces of Tomato Sauce
1 Teaspoon of Chicken Bouillon
2 Tablespoons of Sofrito
½ Teaspoon of Garlic
½ Teaspoon of Cumin
1 ½ Cups of Water
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil or Achiote Oil
2 Teaspoons of Adobo Seasoning
3 Cups of Water
2 Teaspoons of Salt
First, you have to heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Then, cook the onions until vegetables are soft and translucent, or for about 10 minutes. Add sazón, garlic, cilantro, and oregano and cook for 1 more minute. Next, you have to add the rice to the pan. Stir with a wooden spoon and cook until it is toasted, or for about 2 minutes. Then, add the pigeon peas, tomato sauce, and 1 ½ cups of water. Bring to a boil, and lower the heat to medium-low. Continue cooking until the water has evaporated and the rice is tender, or for about 10 minutes. Stir the rice so it does not stick to the bottom. Lastly, remove the saucepan from heat and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Pernil
Just like Arroz con Gandules, everyone makes this dish differently. This is the Puerto Rican version. It takes a long time to make, which is why I start it at night and check on it every hour. However, it is worth it because of how good the dish is. Here are the ingredients for this recipe:
1 (6 lb.) of pork shoulder
12 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon of oregano
2 tablespoons of vinegar
2 tablespoons of sofrito/recaito
2 cups of water (to add to roasting pan)
Take half of your garlic cloves and slice each one lengthwise, once or twice. (Place aside)
First, use above quantity of seasonings. Rinse the pork under cold running water. Adobo rub: add whole garlic (not the sliced ones) to a mortar & pestle. Mash: add olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano and vinegar and stir and mash to a course paste. Next, prepare the meat: make 25-30 slits 1” wide by 2” deep in meat on all slides, top and bottom. Then, using the handle of a small teaspoon, push some sofrito into each slit. Put a slice in each slit with sofrito, and, if you have extra garlic slices left, just double up if not enough, slice some up. Take Adobo paste and rub it all over the pork. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (or at least a few more hours). To cook: remove from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking. Preheat oven to 350Fo. Then, unwrap the pork, put in roaster, and add 2 cups of water. Cover loosely with foil. Cook for 3-3 ½ hours with an internal temperature of 185-195Fo. After 2 hours, uncover and baste. Continue cooking, uncovering and basting every 30 minutes. If you run out of juice, just add 1-2 cups of water. Once the pork is done, remove from oven and let rest 15 minutes before carving. This lets it cool and allows juices to stay within the roast.
Pollo Rellenos con Verduras
There are so many other ways people make stuffed baked chicken, whether they make it with cheese, mofongo, and or al horno. But this one has vegetables, and it is really good! Here are the ingredients for this recipe:
6 sliced chicken breast fillets
6 thin slices of ham
1 carrot
100 grams of fine green beans
Meat or vegetable broth
Instant thickener or cornstarch
Oil
Pepper
Salt
First, you have to place the chicken in an overproof container. Season with salt, pepper, lemon and orange juice. Add bay leaf and garlic. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge for 2 hours. Next, put the stuffing ingredients in a bowl. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and fill it with the previous preparation. Close with chopsticks and bring to a preheated oven at a moderate to hot temperature for about an hour or until the chicken is golden and cooked but juicy.
Those were 3 Spanish Thanksgiving Recipes, I really hope you enjoyed this article, and I hope everyone has an amazing Thanksgiving!
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