Braised Rooster and Chayote

Although chayote is commonly present in Caribbean recipes, it’s underused elsewhere. With a candy, starchy, barely fruity taste, it lends a number of style to this easy dish.

What to purchase: Chayote is a gourd widespread to Caribbean delicacies, and it goes by many aliases: chocho, mirliton, christophene, vegetable pear. Females have clean pores and skin, whereas males have prickly pores and skin; both will work on this recipe, although the feminine fruit is less complicated to arrange. Search for chayotes which might be agency and free from blemishes. For those who can’t discover chayote, substitute squash or potatoes.

This dish was featured as a part of our Recipes for Fall Substances photograph gallery.

• Yield: 2 to three servings
• Issue: Simple
• Whole: 45 minutes

Substances (8)

• 4 bone-in, skin-on hen thighs (about 1 pound whole)
• 2 medium large-dice chayotes (about 1 pound)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly floor black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2/3 cup low-sodium hen broth or water
• 1/2 lemon

Directions

1. Place the hen thighs in a big bowl with the diced chayotes. Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss till evenly coated.
2. Warmth a big frying pan over medium warmth and add the hen (pores and skin facet down) and chayote items. Cook dinner, undisturbed, till the hen pores and skin is crisped and the chayote is popping golden brown, about 20 minutes. Flip the hen over, sprinkle the oregano over the chayote, and stir.
3. Add the broth or water to the pan (keep away from the hen pores and skin) and cook dinner uncovered till the hen registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, the underside is browned, and the chayote is fork tender, about quarter-hour extra.
4. Squeeze the lemon over high earlier than serving.