Escabeche from Belize

Man, I made this great recipe from one of our favorite and most used cookbooks: Extending the Table. This book is recipes collected from around the world by Mennonite missionaries. If you don't mind little excerpts about the "sacred nature of food," then this is a great cookbook for you. Many of the recipes are made with beans, rice, and small quantities of meat; cooking more, with less. Eating this way is more socially and environmentally conscious, not to mention economical. These three goals are things my wife and I are struggling to achieve. Do we go out on a whim and spend $30 on burgers and beer at our favorite tavern? You bet. But we know we shouldn't.

Here's the recipe from page 82 (my personal notes appear in blue text):

Schlabach, J.H. (1991). Extending the Table: A World Community Cookbook. Herald Press:
Scottdale, PA.

Belizean Chicken Stew "Escabeche"

In a large soup pot, brown in 3 T of oil:
2-3 lb. chicken, cut in pieces (When I butcher a whole chicken for something like this, I cut the breasts in half against the grain of the meat. These "quarter-breast" pieces are about the same size as the thighs. This gives you 8 serving pieces: 2 quarter-breasts, 2 whole wings, 2 thighs, and 2 legs. Keep the skin on, but remove any large pieces of fat. See below for notes on chickens. I recommend seasoning the bird before browning.)
Add:
2 qt. water
1-2- cloves garlic, minced (or pressed)
salt and pepper to taste (I salt and pepper the chicken before browning.)
3 whole cloves (I used about 5. This adds a warm, flavor that is different, but not unfamiliar)
2 t. dried oregano (or more)
1/4 c. vinegar (I used cider vinegar, but use anything except balsamic.)
2-3 whole chili peppers (I used two fresh serrano chiles and one dried ancho chile)
Bring to a boil, then simmer until chicken is tender, about 20-30 minutes (don't forget to cover the pot)
Meanwhile, cut into rings:
1 lb. onions (I doubled the onions)
Soak in warm water 30 minutes (The onions, not you). Drain and add to other ingredients. Cook 2 minutes. (Remove the chiles) Serve with (corn) tortillas and/or Belizean Potato Salad (p.113).

The book then cites their field sources. If you need to know, send me a comment.

This is a great, cheap recipe that feeds an army. I heaped bowls with onions made milder by their soaking while retaining some crisp texture. Be mindful of the whole cloves; they are unpleasant to bite down upon. The chicken was juicy and flavorful. The broth was slightly spicy with a distinct clove aroma. Give each person one portion of chicken and bring on the warmed corn tortillas!

For the leftovers, I separated the solids a liquid. Once the broth is cold, the fat comes to the surface and solidifies, making it easy to remove.

Notes on whole chickens
These days, a whole chicken weighs a lot (at least 5 pounds). When a recipe calls for a smaller amount of chicken parts, I usually reserve a half-breast. The whole breast is the two halves, joined the the middle. One half-breast is what we usually eat as a portion. Every time I cut up a chicken, I freeze a boned, skinned half-breast with the tenderloin removed. So, we have a stockpile of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and a bag of chicken tenders (for stir frying). We also have a lot of chicken backs and giblets for making stock.

C-ya