!Que rico! Salbutes of Mucho Tastiness

One of my all-time favorite foods is salbutes (sal-boo-taes), usually purchased from a little shack of a restaurant in Central America, fresh from the oil and piping hot, with lovely habanero sauce on the table. Usually small in my helpings, I can't help but eat far more than my usual amount when these are the main course!

After discovering that few (if any) people around here know what a salbute is, let alone their deliciousness, I make them at home. I learned the recipe for the dough from my sister. The key to the crispy corn shell is to make sure your oil is hot enough.

Dough:

* Masa (corn flour, not meal, about three cups - I don't usually measure)

* Ricado (a chunk of adobo seasoning usually about the size of a small walnut, dissolved in hot water)

* Dash salt

* Water or chicken broth to correct consistency - maybe about two cups.

Mix, adding more water/broth as necessary until dough is cohesive and moist but still firm.

Roll into balls - about 2 inches across or so, maybe a bit larger if you like. Press balls into flat discs while between two sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper.

Fry in hot oil (test first with small blot of dough - it should puff up and get crispy almost immediately!) until puffed and crisp, flip once and wait a few seconds till both sides match, then remove and drain.

Chicken:

Boil chicken thighs/drumsticks (or whatever parts of chicken you want. Save the broth for the dough!) until done. Shred with forks or fingers.

In pot over low/med heat, season to taste with minced garlic, ricado dissolved in water (again about the size of a walnut), black pepper, sliced onion, salt to taste, and habanero sauce to taste.

While it might not be authentic, I do occasionally add a can of black beans to stretch the chicken some - plus it's delicious!

Keep from drying out by adding chicken broth as needed. Set aside.

Cabbage "Salsa":

Cut a chunk of cabbage (I usually only use about a third or so of a medium-sized cabbage) and rinse. Chop in food processor until small.

Add some onion, about 1/2 cup chopped, and a handful of cilantro. Chop in food processor together, then add to cabbage.
In bowl, add white vinegar (about 1/4 cup or so, maybe a bit less), 1Tbsp sugar and 2 tsp salt (or to taste) to cabbage mixture. Mix well, set aside.

Slice tomatoes and chop some cilantro for garnish.

Take a shell, push in one of the crunchy puffy sides to make a hollow. Fill with 2 or 3 Tbsp of chicken mixture (depending on size of shell, you might need a bit more), top with about 2 Tbsp of cabbage mixture, lay on a slice of tomato, garnish with cilantro, douse with habanero sauce, oh! heavenly. Then, since you ate that one, keep making more so that you actually have something to serve to your hungry people.

I often serve these on a cookie sheet since it's one of the easiest ways to get a lot onto the table. Make sure you have a stack of napkins on hand since silverware would be superfluous.

Mmmm!