Recipes

Chicken with Chipotle Chiles and Tequila

Chicken with Chipotle Chiles and Tequila

Pollo Guisado con Chipotle y Tequila
Casa Viejo is a very special place in the Polanco district of Mexico City. The restaurant is on the top floor of a small luxurious hotel with the same name. Traditional dishes, such as this braised chicken dish, are skillfully executed. Mexicans often add a bit of tequila to some of their dishes in the same way as wine or brandy might be used in other cultures. Tequila imparts a subtle peppery flavor to help balance and bring out natural flavors. Tequila also tends to mellow hot chiles. You can leave it out if you wish.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 450°.
  • Heat 1½ tablespoons of the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken until browned on both sides and firm to the touch, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
  • Season with salt.
  • Transfer the chicken to a plate.
  • To the skillet add the onion and garlic.
  • Cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the remaining ingredients, except the green onions.
  • Cook 5 minutes.
  • Return the chicken to the pan.
  • Bring to a boil, stirring to mix the chicken with the vegetables.
  • Transfer the pan to the oven and cook, uncovered, until the chicken and potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, toss the green onions with the remaining oil and cook in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until starting to brown, but barely tender, 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Serve the chicken, potatoes, and sauce with green onions scattered on top.
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Course; Chicken
Cuisine; Mexican

Baked Chicken with Mushrooms and Ancho Chile

Baked Chicken with Mushrooms and Ancho Chile on rustic wooden table

Baked Chicken with Mushrooms and Ancho Chile

Pollo con Hongos y Chile Ancho
San Miguel de Allende is a city of steep hills and beautiful colonial buildings in the state of Guanajuato in central Mexico. It has a large permanent American population attracted to its beauty, climate, arts, and crafts. During one of my stays, when I was escorting a culinary group, I had this chicken dish at El Patio restaurant. The dish was prepared with a small half chicken covered with the mushrooms and sauce. I prefer to use whole chicken legs with thighs attached. The herb epazote is important to the flavor, but if unavailable, use cilantro. It won't taste quite the same, but it will still be very good.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • In a small dry skillet, toast the chiles over medium heat, turning, until aromatic, about 1 minute.
  • Soak in a bowl of hot water 20 minutes, then drain.
  • Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and brown the chicken on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
  • Remove to an ovenproof casserole dish.
  • In the same skillet, cook the mushrooms, stirring, about 3 minutes.
  • Add to the casserole dish with the chicken.
  • Reserve the skillet.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°.
  • Put the tomatoes, chicken broth, onion, garlic, epazote leaves, salt, pepper, and the reserved chiles in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
  • Reheat the skillet, and pour in the sauce.
  • Cook, stirring, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Pour over the chicken and mushrooms.
  • Cover and bake until the chicken is tender, 40 to 45 minutes.
  • Divide the chicken and sauce equally among 4 serving plates.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve hot.
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Course; Chicken
Cuisine; Mexican

Grilled Chicken in Red Chili Sauce with Zucchini and Corn

Grilled Chicken in Red Chili Sauce with Zucchini and Corn

Pechugas de Pollo en Salsa de Chili Molida con Calabacitas y Elote
Here's a recipe that uses ground ancho or pasilla chili powder (called chili molida), instead of whole dried chiles, to make the sauce for the chicken. This contemporary dish is brightened with bits of zucchini, corn, and red bell pepper. Maggi seasoning extract is a popular product in Mexico that's widely available in most supermarkets here. Worcestershire sauce is an acceptable substitute.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • In a heavy medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat.
  • Add the onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add the ground chili, masa, tomato paste, cumin, oregano, brown sugar, Maggi, and beef broth.
  • Stir to combine.
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer the sauce, partially covered, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Reserve in the pan, off heat.
  • (Sauce can be made ahead to this point.
  • Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days.
  • )
  • Prepare a hot fire in an outdoor grill, or heat an oven broiler or stovetop grill pan.
  • Brush the chicken with the remaining tablespoon of oil, and season with ¼ teaspoon of the salt.
  • Grill the chicken turning frequently once or twice, about 4 to 5 minutes per side or until no longer pink inside at the thickest part and firm to the touch.
  • Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the butter over medium heat.
  • Add the zucchini, corn, red pepper, and remaining salt.
  • Cook, tossing, until sizzling and heated through, about 2 minutes.
  • Reheat the sauce.
  • To serve, put a chicken breast in the center of each of 4 plates.
  • Spoon the chili sauce over the chicken, and let it pool onto the plate.
  • Scatter the heated vegetables over the top.
  • Sprinkle with cilantro.
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Course; Chicken
Cuisine; Mexican

Sautéed Chicken Livers with Green Onions

Sautéed Chicken Livers with Green Onions

Higaditos con Cebollitos
Here, sautéed chicken livers are cooked with a bit of Worcestershire, which Mexicans sometimes call English sauce. In this recipe, the livers are topped with small green onions for an easy, economical way to prepare often-neglected chicken livers. Serve them with Rice with Mixed Vegetables or another Mexican rice dish.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • Trim the connective tissue from the livers and cut them into 1-inch pieces.
  • Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet.
  • Add the livers and cook, turning, until firm, about 1 minute.
  • Add the Worcestershire and pepper.
  • Cook, stirring, until browned on the outside and barely pink inside, about 3 minutes more.
  • Transfer to a plate.
  • Cook the green onions in the same pan, stirring frequently, until limp and crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.
  • Put the onions on the plate with the liver.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve hot.
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Course; Chicken
Cuisine; Mexican

Grilled Chicken Skewers

Grilled Chicken Skewers

Alhambres de Pollo
After touring the blue agave fields and viewing the tequila-making operation in the town of Tequila, near Guadalajara, we were guests for lunch at the Jose Cuervo distillery's entertaining center. The main dish was grilled chicken and vegetables cleverly skewered on spears from the agave plant, but thick wooden skewers work just as well. Horsemen's Beans accompanied the skewered chicken. If serving with the beans, cook them a day ahead and reheat shortly before serving.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • Cut the chicken into 11⁄2-inch pieces and put in a bowl.
  • Add the oil, garlic, lime juice, salt, and pepper.
  • Toss to coat the chicken with the marinade.
  • Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
  • Prepare an outdoor grill (and grease the rack) or preheat the broiler.
  • Thread the ingredients on the skewers in the following order: 1 piece red pepper, 1 piece chicken, 1 piece ham, 1 piece onion, 1 piece chicken, 1 piece ham, 1 piece onion, and 1 piece poblano chile.
  • Repeat until 4 skewers have been threaded.
  • Cook the skewers on the grill or in the broiler, turning 2 to 3 times, until the ingredients are lightly charred and the chicken is no longer pink inside, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve hot.
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Course; Chicken
Cuisine; Mexican

Minced Spicy Chicken

Minced Spicy Chicken

Picadillo de Pollo
A mixture of minced cooked chicken with onions, tomatoes, chiles, spices, raisins, and olives is used as a filling for such things as Stuffed Chiles with Shredded Spiced Chicken, or as a topping for masa dough snacks called sopes (Masa Shells for Sopes). Chicken picadillo is also a delicious filling for tamales, empanadas, tacos, and more.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 cups

  • 2 chicken breasts half on the bone with skin
  • 2 cups canned chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ medium onion finely chopped
  • 2 large garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 2 medium tomatoes peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 jarred pickled jalapeño chiles en escabeche, seeded and finely chopped
  • ⅓ cup raisins
  • 8 pimiento-stuffed green olives chopped
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon Mexican canela or Ceylon variety preferred
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Put the chicken, skin side down, and chicken broth in a medium saucepan.
  • Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer 12 minutes.
  • Turn the chicken over and simmer 10 minutes.
  • Cool the chicken in the pan off heat.
  • When the chicken is cool enough to handle, separate the meat from the skin and bones and finely chop it into small bits.
  • Discard the skins and bones.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the onion and garlic, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add the remaining ingredients, except the reserved chicken, and cook, stirring, until the juices have evaporated and the mixture is nearly dry, 6 to 8 minutes.
  • Mix in the reserved chicken.
  • Transfer to a bowl.
  • The chicken picadillo is ready to use as directed in your recipe.
  • If made ahead, cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate up to 3 days, or freeze up to 3 months.
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Course; Chicken
Cuisine; Mexican

Shredded Chicken in Green Sauce

Shredded Chicken in Green Sauce

Pollo Deshebrado en Salsa Verde
Shredded chicken with spicy tomatillo sauce is a favorite filling for burritos or tacos. Burritos are a northern Mexico preparation, especially in the state of Sonora. Burritos are often made of large, thin flour tortillas. Chicken, beef and pork are the most common fillings. Shredded or chopped meats are layered with beans, salsa, lettuce, and whatever else strikes the fancy, then rolled into a cylinder and eaten at once. This shredded chicken can also be used as a filling for tamales.
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Ingredients

Makes about 4 cups

Instructions

  • In a medium saucepan, simmer the chicken with the chicken broth, over medium-low heat until the chicken is no longer pink inside, about 12 minutes.
  • Remove the chicken to a bowl, cover and let stand while making the sauce.
  • Reserve the broth.
  • In a skillet, heat the oil and cook the onion and garlic until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Scrape the mixture into a blender or food processor.
  • Add the tomatillos, serranos, cilantro, oregano, cumin, sugar, and ¼ cup of the chicken broth.
  • Purée until smooth.
  • Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and cook about 8 minutes, stirring, to reduce the liquid and blend the flavors.
  • Add salt and pepper.
  • Shred the cooled chicken and mix with the sauce.
  • Use as a filling for burritos or tacos.

Notes & Wine Advice

Store the remaining chicken broth for another use.
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Course; Chicken
Cuisine; Mexican

Shredded Spiced Chicken

Shredded Spiced Chicken

Pollo Deshebrado Picante
Instead of poaching chicken breasts, I often braise them with onions, herbs, and spices before shredding. The chicken has great flavor cooked this way. Use to fill enchiladas, crepes, tacos, sandwiches, or as a topping for tostadas.
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Ingredients

Makes about 3 cups

Instructions

  • Trim the chicken of all visible fat, and cut each breast crosswise into 3 equal pieces.
  • Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken about 2 minutes per side, or until lightly browned on the outside.
  • Add all of the remaining ingredients.
  • Stir to combine, reduce the heat to low, and add 1 tablespoon of water.
  • Cover and simmer until the chicken is no longer pink inside at the thickest part, 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Remove the chicken pieces and when cool enough to handle, shred the chicken and return it to the pan.
  • Stir to mix.
  • Adjust seasoning.

Notes & Wine Advice

The chicken is ready to use, or cover and refrigerate up to overnight.
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Course; Chicken
Cuisine; Mexican

Chilled Zucchini-Cilantro Soup

Chilled Zucchini-Cilantro Soup

Sopa Fria de Calabacitas y Cilantro
Fuerte restaurant in Tlaquepaque reflects nueva cocina in its varied menu. Instead of blending the zucchini with rich cream, I substitute chicken broth to lighten the soup.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and cook the onion, stirring, until translucent, about 4 minutes.
  • Stir in the cumin and oregano.
  • Cook 30 seconds.
  • Add the zucchini and broth.
  • Bring to a boil, and cook until the zucchini is very tender, about 20 minutes.
  • Cool for about 10 minutes.
  • Stir in the cilantro.
  • Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and purée, in batches if necessary, until smooth.
  • Transfer to a bowl.
  • Season with salt and pepper.
  • Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours.
  • Soup can be made 1 day ahead.
  • To serve, ladle soup into bowls.
  • Garnish with a swirl of crema, sour cream, or yogurt.
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Course; Soup
Cuisine; Mexican

Cold Chayote Soup

Cold Chayote Soup

Sopa Fria de Chayote
Roberto Santibanez Cervantes, now in Austin, Texas, was among the first young chefs in Mexico to begin experimenting and developing Mexican dishes in the new way called nueva cocina. This simple cold soup is one of Roberto's innovations. Chayote is a pale green pear-shaped member of the squash family.
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Ingredients

Makes 6 servings

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 small leek white part only, washed and thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup chopped white onion
  • 1 medium garlic clove chopped
  • ½ serrano chile finely chopped with seeds
  • 2 chayotes peeled, seeded, and diced in 1⁄4-inch pieces
  • 3 cups chicken stock or canned fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ¼ small bunch of cilantro washed and tied together in a bouquet
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ½ cold golden delicious apple peeled and diced in 1⁄4-inch pieces just before serving (see Note)

Instructions

  • In a heavy saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat.
  • Add the leek, onion, garlic, and chile.
  • Cover and cook slowly at medium-low heat 3 minutes.
  • Add the chayote and cook, stirring frequently, 5 minutes.
  • Add the stock or broth and the salt.
  • Bring to a boil.
  • Add the cilantro bouquet, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the chayote is tender, about 15 minutes.
  • Discard the cilantro.
  • Cool the soup to lukewarm.
  • Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and purée until smooth.
  • Return the soup to the pan and bring to a boil.
  • Add the cream and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon.
  • Adjust seasoning, remembering that the seasoning’s impact will decrease once the soup chills.
  • Refrigerate until the soup is very cold, at least 4 hours.
  • Serve in bowls placed on crushed ice, if possible.
  • Garnish with freshly peeled diced apple.

Notes & Wine Advice

Peel and dice the cold apple at the very last minute. Do not rub with lemon or lime juice, and don’t soak in water, or the apple will lose flavor and crisp texture.
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Course; Soup
Cuisine; Mexican