Seco de Pollo (Ecuadorian Chicken Braised with Beer and Tomato)

• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 large Yellow onion
• 1 large Red pepper
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 2 tsp Ground cumin
• 500 g Tomato, ripe
• 330 ml Lager beer
• 250 ml Chicken stock
• 8 pieces Chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
• 1 large Lime
• 20 g Fresh coriander
• 300 g Long-grain white rice
• 600 ml Water
• 2 tsp Fine sea salt
• ½ tsp Black pepper

1. Finely chop the onion and pepper. Crush the garlic, roughly chop the coriander, and cut the lime into wedges. Grate the tomatoes on a box grater into a bowl, discarding the skins.
2. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the chicken thighs with the salt and pepper, then brown in batches for 4 to 5 minutes per side until deeply golden; transfer to a plate.
3. Lower the heat to medium and add the onion and pepper to the pot. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes until softened, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the garlic and cumin and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Add the grated tomato and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes until it thickens slightly and smells sweet. Pour in the lager and simmer for 3 minutes to cook off the raw alcohol. Stir in the chicken stock.
5. Return the chicken (and any juices) to the pot, turning to coat in the sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook on low for 30 minutes. Uncover and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the sauce is glossy and the chicken is tender and cooked through.
6. While the chicken cooks, rinse the rice until the water runs mostly clear. Combine the rice, water and a pinch of salt in a saucepan, bring to the boil, then cover and cook on low for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
7. Stir most of the coriander into the stew and squeeze in a little lime to taste. Check the seasoning, adding a touch more salt or pepper if needed. Serve the seco de pollo over rice with the remaining coriander and lime wedges.

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