Brazilian Chicken with Okra (Frango com Quiabo)

A classic of Brazilian home cooking: humble, budget-friendly and full of flavor. The chicken is slowly braised in a rich, aromatic base, while the okra gives the sauce a creamy, slightly silky texture. True comfort food, simple and perfect with white rice or mashed cassava (yuca).

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, cut into small pieces (regular, free-range or Brazilian-style caipira chicken)
• 400 g (about 14 oz) fresh okra (quiabo)
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 150 ml (about ⅔ cup) white wine
• Gallo Victor Guedes olive oil, as needed
• Water, as needed
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Fresh scallions (green onions), chopped, to taste
• Fresh parsley, chopped, to taste

Shop the ingredients for this recipe

Instructions

1. Prep the chicken: cut the chicken into small pieces and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. You can use regular, free-range or caipira chicken. Slower-grown birds have firmer meat and need longer cooking, but they make a richer, more flavorful broth.
2. Sear the chicken: in a wide pot, heat a generous drizzle of Gallo Victor Guedes olive oil. Add the chicken pieces and sear over high heat until deeply golden and caramelized on all sides. Remove the chicken and set aside, keeping all the fat and juices in the pot.
3. Make the base: in the same pot, add the chopped onion, the garlic and the bay leaves. Sauté well until the onion is soft and starting to caramelize. Add the chopped fresh tomato and cook until it starts to break down, creating a rich, aromatic sauce base. Deglaze with the white wine and let it reduce to concentrate the flavors.
4. Braise the chicken: return the chicken to the pot and add a little water, enough to make a generous sauce. Season with salt and pepper and simmer over low heat for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is very tender. If you're using free-range or caipira chicken, cook longer as needed, until the meat is tender and starts pulling away easily from the bone. Add water whenever needed during cooking to keep plenty of sauce.
5. Prep the okra: wash and dry the okra very well. Trim the ends and cut into fairly large pieces so they hold their texture while cooking. In a skillet, heat a drizzle of Gallo Victor Guedes olive oil and sauté the okra over medium-high heat for a few minutes, until it starts to brown. This builds flavor and tames some of the okra's natural sliminess without losing its signature texture.
6. Finish the chicken with okra: once the chicken is very tender, add the sautéed okra straight to the pot. Stir gently and cook for 10 more minutes, letting the okra release some of its natural thickness to help thicken the sauce. Adjust the seasoning and finish with plenty of cheiro-verde, a mix of chopped fresh scallions and parsley.
7. Serve: serve the chicken with okra piping hot, with white rice, mashed potatoes or mashed cassava. Most important: serve it with plenty of sauce to enjoy all the creaminess of the okra and the deep flavor of the braised chicken.

Tip

Sautéing the okra separately before adding it to the pot builds flavor and controls some of the sliminess, while keeping the creaminess that thickens the sauce. If you use free-range or caipira chicken, plan on a longer cooking time and keep adding water so there's plenty of sauce.

Brazilian chicken with okra, the way it should be.