Pollo con Piña

This is one of my favorite recipes that I brought home from my mission in Spain.  I got this from a member in the Valencia branch...she was originally from the Canary Islands and she told me that is where the recipe originated.  She was sick (cancer) and my companion and I did service by cleaning and ironing for her.  She would cook for us. She gave my trainer and I pretty blank books that we could write down the recipes in.  They were delicious (even the Sopa de Ajo (Garlic Soup)).  I received one letter from her after I came home in 1997 - she'd gone back to the Canary Islands.  I haven't heard from her since, so I'm not sure of her whereabouts or if her cancer came back or what. But every time I make this (and it is now a favorite of my husband and kids) I think of Mercedes.


Mercedes, me and her son, Alejandro
February 1996
Valencia, Spain

My original copy of the recipe - I'd only been in Spain a few months, but I couldn't remember certain cooking terms in English (or figure out how to translate right) I couldn't figure out "brown the chicken" just got it figured out to cooking it not frying it :)

As you can see it is very well used...I think, next to my recipe for Tortilla it is the most used page in this book!

Pollo con Piña

from Mercedes Mendez in Valencia, Spain






1 chicken cut in small pieces (or chicken breasts, or things or even tenders)


1 large can of pineapple rings (with juice)


2 beef bouillon cubes


250 g margarine (about 1 ½ cubes)


Flour


Water






Clean the chicken, coat with flour. Set aside. In a frying pan, melt margarine. Brown the chicken. Put browned chicken in a 9” x 13” pan and set aside. In the leftover margarine, add the pineapple juice and the bouillon cubes. Stir well, until boiling and the bouillon cubes have disintegrated. Mix 1 tsp of flour in 1/3 c. of water (just so flour is mixed well). Mix into margarine mixture. Strain mixture (if necessary) and pour over chicken and cook 30-45 minutes in oven at 350° to 375°.






This is good served over rice or mashed potatoes. You may need additional pineapple juice – especially if you want it saucier to pour over rice or potatoes. Then I add an additional bouillon cube as well.