Chicharrón de Pollo

Chicharrón de pollo is Dominican chicken, cut into pieces, marinated in lime, garlic and oregano, and deep-fried until crisp.

Chicharrón is a Spanish word for fried pork, such as crackling or fried pork belly, and the name stays with this dish even though it is made with chicken. It is a common fried plate on Dominican menus, eaten hot as a main course.

What it really is

Chicken pieces are soaked in a marinade of lime juice, garlic, oregano and salt, then drained and fried in deep oil until the skin and edges are golden and crisp. The marinade seasons the meat all the way through, so the flavour does not depend on a sauce. Recipes differ in the cut of chicken, how long it marinates, and whether a light flour coating is used.

There is no pork in it. The word describes the crisp frying, not the meat.

How it's served

• Hot from the fryer, with lime wedges to squeeze over the top.
• Commonly with rice, fried green plantain and a simple salad.
• Eaten with the hands or with cutlery, depending on the cut and the setting.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the protein and the cut: chicken pieces, bone-in or boneless, and the portion weight if you sell by size.
• Say that it is marinated in lime, garlic and oregano and then fried, so guests know what they are ordering.
• The classic marinade and frying contain no common allergen, but ask whether a flour coating is used, and flag any shared fryer with wheat, fish or shellfish.
• State which sides come with it and which cost extra, such as rice, plantain and salad.