Dinner Tonight: Huasteca-Style Chicken in Mole

Name: Dinner Tonight: Huasteca-Style Chicken in Mole
Prep time: 1 h 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 5 larges ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded; 1 teaspoon black peppercorns; 1 chicken, quartered, backbone and wings set aside for another use; 4 servings Chopped cilantro; 4 servings White rice and/or corn tortillas; 5 garlic cloves, unpeeled; 1 1-inch piece canela; 4 sprigs mint; 1 Tbsp salt; 1 teaspoon sugar (or up to 1 tablespoon, to taste); 4 larges tomatoes, about 2 pounds total; 4 Tbsps vegetable oil, divided; 1 liters water; 2 smalls white onions, one left unpeeled, second one chopped

For $1.23 per serving, this recipe covers 25% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. This recipe serves 4. One serving contains 379 calories, 8g of protein, and 18g of fat. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Head to the store and pick up canela, vegetable oil, salt, and a few other things to make it today. It is a good option if you're following a gluten free and dairy free diet.

Instructions

Add the chicken pieces to a large pot, along with the mint, unpeeled onion, 2 teaspoons of salt, and the water. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce to low. Skim off any foam that comes to the surface. Cook the breasts until they register 140° and the legs hit 150°, measuring with a meat thermometer. This should take 25 to 30 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Chicken Pieces

Onion

Water

Meat

Mint

Salt

Equipment you will use

Kitchen Thermometer

Pot

Remove the chicken from the broth, and set aside. When chicken is cool, take off the skin, and remove meat from the bones. Using your fingers, shred the chicken.

Ingredients you will need

Meat

Broth

Meanwhile, place a sheet of aluminum foil on a cast iron skillet set over medium heat. When hot, add the tomatoes. Using a pair of tongs, flip and turn the tomatoes occasionally, until the skins are blistered and blackened all over, about ten minutes. Set aside and let cool for a few minutes. Then peel the skins off and place tomatoes in a blender.

Ingredients you will need

Tomato

Equipment you will use

Aluminum Foil

Blender

Frying Pan

Tongs

Reduce heat to medium-low, and add the garlic cloves. Stir occasionally and cook until the insides are soft, about eight minutes. Set garlic aside and let cool, and then remove from skins and place in the blender.

Ingredients you will need

Garlic

Equipment you will use

Blender

While the garlic is roasting, add the peppercorns, canela, and cloves to a small heavy skillet set over medium heat. Shake the pan constantly, and toast them until very fragrant, one to two minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Peppercorns

Clove

Garlic

Shake

Toast

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Transfer to the blender.

Equipment you will use

Blender

When the chicken is done, remove two cups of the stock and transfer to a medium-sized bowl.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Chicken

Stock

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Add the chiles and let soak for 15 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Chili Pepper

Pour two tablespoons of the oil into a large saucepan set over medium heat. When oil is shimmering, add the chopped onions. Stir often and cook until translucent, about three minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Onion

Cooking Oil

Equipment you will use

Sauce Pan

Add the onions to the blender.

Ingredients you will need

Onion

Equipment you will use

Blender

When chiles are done soaking, add them to the blender, along with their liquid. Puree the mixture thoroughly, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides with a spatula. It should take a few minutes to do this. Strain this mixture through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl, using the spatula to force the liquid through.

Ingredients you will need

Chili Pepper

Equipment you will use

Blender

Spatula

Sieve

Bowl

Clean out the large saucepan, and then add the remaining two tablespoons of oil. Turn the heat to medium, and when shimmering, add the chile mixture. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until it has reduced and the fat is starting to separate, about 15 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Chili Pepper

Cooking Oil

Equipment you will use

Sauce Pan

Add the shredded chicken, thin with a little of the remaining stock, and add the sugar. Season to taste with more salt.

Ingredients you will need

Shredded Chicken