alaMar Kitchen & Bar

CHICKEN WINGS ARE A POPULAR APPETIZER at all kinds of restaurants. Giving them a Latin twist can make them popular at Mexican/Latin-themed restaurants, too, which is something Chef Nelson German discovered when he introduced his Dominican Braised Chicken Wings (Pollo Guisado) at alaMar Kitchen & Bar in Oakland, California.

“This recipe is a family recipe for Dominican Gallina Guisada, which translates to braised hen,” German says. “I decided to do what my grandmother would do with hen and did it with wings which are fun to eat in our casual setting. They are tremendously popular as who doesn’t love wings — especially when we have our [Golden State] Warriors on our big screen!”

German goes on to explain why the wings recipe is one of his favorites.

“It brings back great memories watching my abuelita and mom cooking gallina guisada,” he says. “It’s just nostalgic for me. To this day, I still ask them to cook this dish for me every time I go visit them in New York and Florida. It’s absolutely delicious!”

Makes 4 servings

3 lbs. chicken party wings (skin on preferred)

¼ c. Maggi Seasoning (use tamari to keep it gluten free)

1 qt. chicken stock/broth (vegetable stock ok)

½ c. chopped garlic

2 small red onions, sliced

3 T. ground cumin

3 T. lemon pepper seasoning

1 T. smoked paprika

7 pitted Mezzetta green olives, chopped

½ c. tomato paste

½ c. sofrito (recipe below right)

2 oranges, zest & juice

¼ c. canola oil

¼ stick butter

Combine sofrito ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend well. Reserve 1½ cups of the sofrito for marinating the chicken wings and set the last half cup aside. In a large Ziplock bag, place the chicken wings and sofrito. Marinate for 3 hours or overnight.

When ready to cook, preheat a medium aluminum or stainless steel pan with ¼ cup oil for about 5 minutes on medium high heat. This will allow pan to heat up evenly so the chicken will not stick to pan. Add the chicken pieces and cook for 1 minute or until golden brown then turn. Lower the heat to low, then add the onions and garlic to the pan.

Sweat down the onion and garlic until soft. Now turn up the heat to high and deglaze with the Maggi Seasoning, turn chicken twice so it can absorb the seasoning.

Add the cumin, smoked paprika and lemon pepper and stock. Bring liquid to a boil and add tomato paste and reserved sofrito, stir both well until dissolved.

Add orange zest plus the juice, then the olives. Lower the heat to low and cover with lid; if there is no lid for pan then use aluminum foil. Braise chicken for 30 minutes or until preference of tenderness.

Make some rice and pan fry some sweet plantains for an added Dominican touch. Plate chicken on a platter without sauce, then add a ¼ stick of butter to sauce in pan and stir until dissolved. Pour sauce over wings and serve.

The Dominican-style Sofrito: Makes 2 cups

1 bunch cilantro, leaves and stems

12 cloves garlic

1 red onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 T. kosher salt

1 T. crushed black pepper

½ c. olive oil

Add all ingredients in a food processor and blend until mix is smooth.