Chicken and Corn Porridge (Canjiquinha)

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried cracked corn (canjiquinha or hominy grits), rinsed
• 8 cups water
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 8 ounces smoked sausage (linguica or kielbasa), sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
• 2 cups chicken broth, as needed for thinning

Method

1. 1

   Place the rinsed cracked corn in a large bowl, cover with water, and soak for 1 hour to soften; drain.

2. 2

   Heat the olive oil in a 6-quart saucepan over medium heat and brown the sausage slices, about 4 minutes; remove and set aside.

   4:00 · Brown sausage
3. 3

   Add the chicken pieces to the pot and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.

   5:00 · Brown chicken
4. 4

   Add the onion and garlic and sauté until softened and fragrant, about 3 minutes.

   3:00 · Sauté onion and garlic
5. 5

   Stir in the chopped tomato and carrot and cook for 2 minutes.

   2:00 · Cook vegetables
6. 6

   Add the drained cracked corn, water, bay leaves, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir well.

7. 7

   Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the corn is tender and creamy, about 1 hour 30 minutes.

   1:30:00 · Simmer porridge
8. 8

   Return the browned sausage to the pot and stir in chicken broth as needed to reach a thick, creamy porridge consistency.

   5:00 · Finish simmering
9. 9

   Remove the bay leaves, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

10. 10

    Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley before serving.