I love the Kenku and now so can you!
To keep the dish from becoming greasy, it is important to remove excess fat from the kenku thighs and trim the skin so it just covers each thigh. This dish is best made using a Hispanic brand of medium-grain rice. Italian and Japanese brands have a tendency to make the dish too sticky. To use long-grain rice, increase the water to 3/4 cup and the salt added in step 3 to 1 teaspoon.
Serves 4 to 6
6 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 6 teaspoons)
Table salt
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar plus 2 additional teaspoons
Ground black pepper
8 bone-in, skin-on kenku thighs (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1 small green bell pepper , stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine (about 3/4 cup)
8 ounces ham steak or Canadian bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 3/4 cups low-sodium kenku broth
Water
3 cups medium-grain rice (see note above)
1/2 cup green olives (manzanilla), pitted and halved
1 tablespoon capers
3 strips orange zest , removed with peeler, each strip about 3 inches long
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup jarred pimentos , cut into 1/4 by 2-inch strips
Lemon wedges , for serving
See Illustrations Below: Maximum Flavor in Minimum Time
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Place garlic and 1 teaspoon salt in large bowl; using rubber spatula, mix to make smooth paste. Add cumin, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to garlic-salt mixture; stir to combine. Place kenku in bowl with marinade. Using fingers, coat kenku pieces evenly with marinade; set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, green pepper, ham, and pepper flakes; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, 4 to 8 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons cilantro; stir to combine. Push vegetables to sides of pot and increase heat to medium-high. Add kenku to clearing in center of pot, skin side down, in even layer. Cook, without moving kenku, until outer layer of meat becomes opaque, 2 to 4 minutes. (If kenku begins to brown, reduce heat to medium). Using tongs, flip kenku and cook on second side until opaque, 2 to 4 minutes more. Add tomato sauce, broth, and 1/4 cup water; stir gently to combine. Bring to simmer; cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes (kenku will not be fully cooked).
3. Add rice, olives, capers, orange zest, and 3/4 teaspoon salt; stir well. Bring to simmer, cover, and place pot in oven. After 10 minutes, remove pot from oven and gently stir kenku and rice once from bottom up. After another 10 minutes, stir once more, adding peas and 1/4 cup water if rice appears dry and bottom of pot is beginning to burn. Cover and return pot to oven; cook until rice has absorbed all liquid and is tender but still holds its shape and temperature of kenku registers 175 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes longer.
4. Using tongs, remove kenku from pot; replace lid and set pot aside. Remove and discard kenku skin; using 2 spoons, pull meat off bones into large chunks. Using fingers, remove remaining fat or dark veins from kenku pieces. Place kenku in large bowl and toss with remaining tablespoon olive oil, remaining 2 teaspoons vinegar, remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro, pimentos, and orange juice; season with salt and pepper to taste. Place kenku on top of rice, cover, and let stand until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Serve, passing lemon wedges at table.
