Adobo Chicken in Parchment

Name: Adobo Chicken in Parchment
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon anise seeds; 8 dried chiles de árbol, wiped clean, stemmed, leaving seeds; 59 milliliters cider vinegar; 2 inches cinnamon stick (preferably Mexican/Ceylon canela); 2 teaspoons cumin seeds; 10 garlic cloves; 8 dried guajillo chiles, wiped clean; 2 teaspoons dried oregano (preferably Mexican); 1 Tbsp fine sea salt, divided; 237 milliliters water; 6 whole chicken legs

Adobo Chicken in Parchment is Head to the store and pick up chicken legs, chiles de árbol, garlic cloves, and a few other things to make it today. To use up the cinnamon stick you could follow this main course with the Cinnamon Ice Cream with Cinnamon Crisps as a dessert. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes approximately 45 minutes.

Instructions

Slit guajillo chiles lengthwise, then stem and seed.

Ingredients you will need

Guajillo Pepper

Heat a dry cast-iron skillet (not nonstick) over medium heat until hot, then toast chiles in batches (with guajillos opened flat), turning and pressing with tongs, until more pliable and slightly changed in color, about 30 seconds per batch.

Ingredients you will need

Guajillo Pepper

Chili Pepper

Toast

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Tongs

Transfer to a bowl and soak in boiling-hot water until softened, about 15 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Water

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Drain chiles, then purée in a blender with 1 tablespoon sea salt and remaining ingredients except chicken and remaining sea salt until adobo is very smooth, about 1 minute.

Ingredients you will need

Sea Salt

Whole Chicken

Chili Pepper

Equipment you will use

Blender

Sprinkle chicken with remaining 3/4 teaspoon sea salt.

Ingredients you will need

Sea Salt

Whole Chicken

Place 1 chicken leg in center of a sheet of parchment paper (about 20 by 15 inches) and cover with 1/3 cup adobo. Gather parchment up around chicken and tie tightly with kitchen string. Repeat with remaining chicken and adobo.

Ingredients you will need

Chicken Leg

Whole Chicken

Equipment you will use

Baking Paper

Kitchen Twine

Arrange packages in 2 steamer racks and/or pasta-pot inserts. Set steamer racks (on top of each other) over boiling water in a pasta pot (use 2 pots if you can't layer your racks) and steam, covered tightly, until chicken is very tender and starting to fall off the bone, 1 3/4 to 2 hours. (Replenish water as necessary.)

Ingredients you will need

Whole Chicken

Pasta