Cook the Book: Achiote-Marinated Chicken Wrapped in Banana Leaves

Cook the Book: Achiote-Marinated Chicken Wrapped in Banana Leaves
Cook the Book: Achiote-Marinated Chicken Wrapped in Banana Leaves is a gluten free, dairy free, and primal main course. One serving contains 172 calories, 25g of protein, and 3g of fat. This recipe serves 8. Head to the store and pick up salt, chicken breasts, oregano, and a few other things to make it today. To use up the ground cumin you could follow this main course with the Moroccan Chocolate Mousse as a dessert. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes about 1 hour.

Instructions

1
Place the annatto seeds in a blender and turn on high until the seeds are ground. It’s all right if the powder is not evenly ground—just try to get it as fine as you can. 
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Annatto SeedsAnnatto Seeds
SeedsSeeds
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BlenderBlender
2
Place the remaining marinade ingredients in the blender and puree until all the ingredients are well blended into a paste.
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MarinadeMarinade
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BlenderBlender
3
Remove the marinade from the blender jar and set aside. 
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MarinadeMarinade
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BlenderBlender
4
Place the chicken breasts in a large resealable plastic bag (you may need to use two) and pour in the marinade. Make sure to coat the chicken well with the marinade. Press out as much air as possible from the bag, seal it, and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes, or overnight.
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Chicken BreastChicken Breast
MarinadeMarinade
Whole ChickenWhole Chicken
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Ziploc BagsZiploc Bags
5
Prepare the banana leaf packets: Use kitchen scissors to cut eight pieces of banana leaves, each approximately 12 inches by 12 inches. Reserve any extra scraps of leaves to make ties. 
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Banana LeavesBanana Leaves
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Kitchen ScissorsKitchen Scissors
6
Remove the marinated chicken from the refrigerator.
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Whole ChickenWhole Chicken
7
Lay a banana leaf square in front of you, making sure the shiny side is facing up.
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Banana LeavesBanana Leaves
8
Place the chicken breast, with marinade still clinging to it, in the center of the leaf and top it with 3 or 4 slices of tomato and several onion slices. 
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Chicken BreastChicken Breast
MarinadeMarinade
TomatoTomato
OnionOnion
9
Fold one side of the leaf over the chicken. Overlap the opposite side over the leaf. Fold the two ends in toward the center and place the package on a baking sheet seam side down. Tear a long strip from an extra piece of banana leaf and tie it around the chicken-stuffed package to secure it. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
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Banana LeavesBanana Leaves
Whole ChickenWhole Chicken
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Baking SheetBaking Sheet
10
Grill the packets
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GrillGrill
11
Heat your grill to high (550°F) and close the lid. Wait at least 15 minutes before lowering the heat to medium-high (450°F) and continuing.
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GrillGrill
12
Place the banana leaf packets on the grill, close the lid, and cook for 25 minutes. The leaves will turn dark brown and have a burnt appearance. They will also begin to give off a smoky scent.
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Banana LeavesBanana Leaves
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GrillGrill
13
Serve: Pile the banana leaf packets on a serving platter and allow your guests to serve themselves and unwrap their packages. 
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Banana LeavesBanana Leaves
DifficultyExpert
Ready In1 h
Servings8
Health Score11
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