Cuba: Quimbombó con Bolitas de Plátano (And some memories from my 2019 trip to Cuba!)

Name: Cuba: Quimbombó con Bolitas de Plátano (And some memories from my 2019 trip to Cuba!)
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6
Ingredients: Chicken Thighs: Boneless; Yellow onion: 1 large; Fresh parsley: 1/2 bunch; Fresh cilantro: 2 sprigs + garnish; Garlic cloves: 5; Bay leaf: 1; Kosher salt: 1 tsp; Whole black peppercorns: 1 tsp; Garlic cloves: 4; Kosher salt: 1 tsp; Fresh ground black pepper: 1/4 tsp; Orange juice: 1/4 cup; Lime juice: 1/4 cup; Olive oil: 1/4 cup; Bell pepper: 1 large; Yellow onion: 1 medium; Tomato puree: 1 cup; Dry white wine: 1/2 cup; Okra (fresh or froze): 1 lb; Yellow plantains: 3

Okra Stew with Plantain Dumplings

Ingredients

For the Stock
Boneless Chicken Thighs
1 large Yellow onion
Peeled & quartered
1/2 bunch Fresh parsley
2 sprigs + garnish Fresh cilantro
5 Garlic cloves
1 Bay leaf
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp Whole black peppercorns
For the Marinade
4 Garlic cloves
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp Fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup Orange juice
1/4 cup Lime juice
For the Soup
1/4 cup Olive oil
1 large Bell pepper
Cored and chopped
1 medium Yellow onion
peeled & chopped
1 cup Tomato puree
1/2 cup Dry white wine
1 lb Okra (fresh or froze)
For the Dumplings
3 Yellow plantains

Directions

It comes with some level of surprise that I’m just now getting around to cooking a recipe from Cuba. I’ve long loved Cuban cuisine, and it’s actually one of the last countries I visited back when international travel was still a thing for us Americans and not just something I made pretend in my kitchen.

I was also surprised to find I never wrote a post about our trip and the food we enjoyed – I would have sworn I had. But it was a nice excuse to take a trip down memory lane and revisit a really fun trip with an amazing group of ladies.

The first thing that struck me was remembering what a colorful country it is. All my pictures – taken from the camera on my phone, which gets dropped more days than not, look like post cards.

The photos also made me really miss some of the joys of everyday life – like dancing in a sweaty club where you can barely maneuver your way off the dance floor, wandering down narrow, packed streets on the way to dinner, and snapping a group photo with the cute waiter your group befriended – and his mom! – thinking absolutely nothing about putting your arms around people you’ve just met. It’s these normal, vibrant human experiences that we so often didn’t stop to appreciate – yet now I miss so much!

The food, like the country, was colorful and fresh. We enjoyed meals at some of the top rated spots in Havana (that is a priority of Traveling While Jo, and thus also a side effect of Traveling With Jo), but perhaps my favorite were the simple, incredibly fresh breakfasts we enjoyed overlooking the ocean in the small fishing town of Boca de Camarioca.

Some of the freshest fruit you can imagine, soft eggs, good coffee, view of the ocean – enjoyed from our rooftop in the small fishing town of Boca de Camarioca.

Amazing Cubano sandwich at Lo De Monik, ranked #1 in Havana for a reason.

A ceviche dream come true, also at Lo De Monik

Literal troughs of goodness at Mojito Mojito, where one of the band members may have taken me for a few spins on the dance floor, only to realize I have two left feet.

Okay, okay – so I realize I may have unintentionally written two posts in one. I’m okay with that though, because most of the time lately I’ve found no energy outside of work to write at all. But before I let you go, I am going to tell you about the Cuban meal I finally got around to cooking last week (that is what we’re here for after all), inspired by a cook book I recently took out from the library.

After starting with a solid round of mojitos and ensalada de aguacate (tomato and avocado salad, topped with marinated red onions), we got to the main course – an okra and chicken stew with plantain dumplings (I love plantains in all of their forms, so this one quickly caught my eye!) And instead of birthday cake, we finished the meal off with churros con chorote, a hot, rich, spiced dipping chocolate – in this case made with coconut milk.

Quimbombó refers to the okra pods, but also to the prepared stews that use okra as their base. In this version, I used chicken – I prefer dark meat for its tenderness – but it’s sometimes made with pork. Legend has it in the Afro-Cuban religion that quimbombó is a particular favorite of Changó, the deity of fire and lightening.

My cookbook describes it as “comfort food elevated to the sacred that allows a brief respite that illuminates the path ahead” – perfect, I think, for the times we are in.

While this trip to Cuba, taken to celebrate my dear friend Holly’s birthday, was certainly different than my last one – right now I’m equally grateful for opportunities to have special people in my home.

Recipe Source: The Cuban Table: A Celebration of Food, Flavors & History

Steps

1 Done 30 minutes	For the stock Peel and quarter your onion and crush your garlic cloves. Then place all the ingredients for the stock in a large pot or Dutch oven with 8 cups of water. Bring to a steady simmer over medium heat and cook, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes. Remove the chicken and allow it to cool. Strain the broth, reserving the liquid and discarding the solids. Set aside.
2 Done 5 minutes	Marinade + Chicken Use a mortar and pestle to mash the garlic, salt and pepper to form a smooth paste (a food processor will also work). Combine with the orange and lime juice in a small bowl. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it - discarding the skin and bone. Pour the marinade over the cooked chicken and toss well.
3 Done 15 minutes	For the Dumplings Note: You can do this while your broth is simmering. Trip the ends off of the plantains and cut them in half once, crosswise, leaving the skin otherwise in tact. Place in a pot with enough water to cover and bring to a rolling boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, until the plantains are tender and peaking out of the peel - about 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle but still warm, peel the plantains. Place them in a large bowl and mash together. Scoop out a couple of table spoons of mashed plantains and share it into small golf balls. Repeat with remaining plantains and set aside.
4 Done 30 minutes	For the Soup Heat the oil over medium heat in the large pot you used to make the broth. Add the chopped pepper and chopped onion and saute until the onion is soft and translucent, 6-8 minutes. Stir in the chicken with its marinade, the reserved stock, the tomato puree and the wine and bring to a simmer. Trim the ends from the okra, then slice the pods into 1/4 inch rounds. Add them to the soup and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Finally, add the plantain dumplings and simmer for 5 more minutes.
5 Done	To Serve Scoop into bowls and serve immediately, garnished with cilantro. Plantain chips are a lovely side!