Pica Pollo and Fritura

Pica pollo is fried chicken, marinated in citrus, garlic and oregano, dusted and fried hard so the skin shatters, and it is sold from small corner counters open late in every neighbourhood in the country, usually with tostones, twice-fried green plantain, and a paper cone of fries. The recipe is generally credited to Chinese Dominican cooks in the mid-twentieth century, which is why the counters are often called by Chinese family names. Around it sits the wider world of fritura: yaniqueques, thin fried dough discs sold on beaches, quipes of bulgur and beef from the Lebanese community, empanadas, chicharrón and arepitas of cassava or corn.

What you actually see

• Pica pollo - hard-fried marinated chicken from a corner counter.
• Tostones - twice-fried green plantain, smashed flat.
• Yaniqueques - thin fried dough discs sold on the beaches.
• Quipes - the bulgur and beef fritters from the Lebanese community.

When to go

Year-round and at any hour; the counters run late into the night, which is when they are busiest. Beach fritura sellers work through the afternoon. Pick stands with a queue, since turnover is what keeps the oil and the food good.

Honest expectations

It is fried hard and heavy, and oil quality varies a great deal between counters; a busy stand is a safer bet than a quiet one. Portions are large and usually come with fries as well as plantain. There is little for vegetarians beyond tostones and arepitas. Hygiene at beach fritura carts is variable.

Nearby

Every neighbourhood has counters; the beaches have the fritura sellers.