A Brazilian chef and recipe writer gives you her Rosh HaShanah chicken dish.
I worked for several years in a French restaurant in New York City. Every day, I cut chicken bones and simmered stock in the morning hours; in the afternoon, I prepared chicken dishes. Braising chicken is a “specialite” of mine, and one of the reasons I love Rosh HaShanah is the tradition of serving such dishes.
And because I’m Brazilian, I was raised on Portuguese-inflected food. This Rosh HaShanah dish is inspired by Portugal’s Frango na Púcara. Púcara is the name of a tall clay pot used for peasant-style stews, but you don’t need to go to Iberia to procure one; a Dutch oven will work just as well.
My version is by no means the most authentic, but it imparts a feeling of fall. The golden raisins, which hint at our wishes for a sweet new year, give it a Latin Jewish touch.
Braising chicken requires patience. Let the liquid do its work and don’t try to rush it.