Pollo Poblano Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the bacon fat in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the poblanos, jalapenos, scallion whites, pepitas, garlic, salt, cumin, coriander and allspice. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatillos and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften and begin to brown, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Remove from the heat. Working in batches, transfer some of the vegetable mixture to a blender, add some of the chicken broth and puree. Transfer the pureed mixture to a large bowl and continue until all the vegetables and broth have been blended. Return the mixture to the pot and add the hominy. Place over high heat, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the flavors come together, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the cilantro, scallion greens and 2 cups of water in the blender (you don't
• need to rinse it out!) and puree until completely smooth.
• Add the chicken and the cilantro puree to the stew, remove it from the heat and stir to combine. Let sit until the chicken is heated through. Serve the pozole with sliced onion, sliced radish, sliced avocado, crushed chicharrones, oregano and lime wedges.

Steps:

• In a large stock pot, parboil the chicken in water seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. Drain, reserving cooking broth, and refrigerate until ready to assemble the dish.
• Prepare the Mole Poblano. Clean the chiles by removing stems, veins, and seeds; reserve 1 tablespoon of the seeds. Heat 1/2 cup of the oil in a heavy skillet until it shimmers. Fry the chiles until crisp, about 10 to 15 seconds, turning once; make sure they do not burn. Drain on paper towels. Put the chiles in a nonreactive bowl, cover with hot water, and set aside for 30 minutes. Drain the chiles, reserving the soaking water. Puree the chiles in a blender with enough of the soaking water to make a smooth paste. It may be necessary to scrape down the sides and blend several times to obtain a smooth paste. In a heavy Dutch oven heat an additional 1/2 cup oil over medium heat and add the chile puree (be careful - it will splatter). Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Puree the tomatillos in a blender. In a coffee or spice grinder, grind the cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, and toasted seeds. Add the seed mixture and the garlic to the pureed tomatillos and blend until smooth. Set aside.
• Heat 6 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy frying pan. Fry each of the following ingredients and then remove with a slotted spoon: the raisins until they puff up; the almonds to a golden brown; the pumpkin seeds until they pop. If necessary, add enough oil to make 4 tablespoons and fry the tortilla pieces and bread slices until golden brown, about 15 seconds per side; remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon. Add raisins, almonds, pumpkins seeds, tortillas, and bread to the tomatillo puree and blend, using 1 to 2 cups of the reserved chicken broth, as needed, to make a smooth sauce. This may have to be done in batches. In a heavy Dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Add the chile puree, the tomatillo puree, and the Mexican chocolate (be careful - it will splatter). Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring often. Add the remaining 5 cups of chicken broth, cook over low heat for an additional 45 minutes, stirring often enough to prevent the mixture from scorching on the bottom. During the last 15 minutes of cooking time, add the parboiled chicken and heat through. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve with white rice.

Steps:

• In a medium bowl place the red chile powder, sesame seeds, almonds, crushed tortilla, raisins, garlic, anise seeds, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, tomatoes, salt, peppercorns, and 2 cups of the chicken stock. Mix the ingredients together and pour them into a blender. Puree the mixture until it is a thick paste.
• Place the other 3 cups of chicken stock in a medium large sauce pan and heat it. While stirring constantly, gradually add the blended paste. Bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat and add the chocolate. Simmer the sauce until the chocolate has melted and a thick gravy is formed.
• In a large saucepan, half filled with boiling water, place the chicken. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer the chicken for 15 minutes. Broil the chicken 5-10 minutes on each side or until it is nicely browned. Serve it with the sauce.

Steps:

• Roast chiles:
• Lay 4 chiles on their sides on racks of gas burners and turn flames on high. (Or broil all 8 chiles on rack of a broiler pan about 2 inches from heat.) Roast chiles, turning with tongs, until skins are blistered but not blackened, 4 to 6 minutes (do not over roast because chiles may fall apart). Transfer immediately to a large plastic bag, then close to allow chiles to steam. Roast remaining chiles in same manner.
• Make filling:
• Cook onion in oil in a medium nonstick skillet over moderately low heat, stirring, until onion begins to turn golden, about 4 minutes. Add water and cook, stirring occasionally, until water is evaporated and onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Stir in chicken, salt, and pepper. Cool completely, then stir in cheese.
• Stuff and bake chiles:
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Rub skins off chiles. Cut a slit lengthwise in each chile and carefully remove seeds (leave stem attached).
• Stuff filling into chiles through slits, keeping chiles intact. Place chiles in a 13- by 9-inch baking dish and cover tightly with foil.
• Bake chiles in middle of oven until cheese is melted, about 30 minutes.

Steps:

• Heat a shallow layer of oil in a very large skillet, or use two skillets.
• Brown chicken in oil on both sides; add water to cover and simmer 30 minutes.
• While chicken is cooking, make the sauce by placing all remaining ingredients (except bay leaf) in a blender and processing until smooth.
• When chicken is done, drain broth and reserve.
• Add 1 to 1 1/2 cup of broth to sauce.
• Blend, pour over chicken in skillet, add bay leaf, and cook on low heat for 35 more minutes.

Steps:

• Roast chile over a gas burner or under the broiler, until charred all over. Wrap in paper towel; steam 5 minutes. Rub off skin; remove seeds and ribs. Chop coarsely.
• Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a small saucepan over medium heat; add onion and garlic; cook until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add chile and cream.
• Puree in blender; add water if too thick. Season with salt and pepper.
• Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat remaining tablespoon canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until golden and juices run clear, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Serve with sauce.

Steps:

• Lay chicken breasts on cutting board and slice them on an angle into 3 thinner pieces each. Heat oil in non-stick skillet. Sear poblano pepper on both sides until brown. Cool and peel off any of the cellophane-like tough skin you can remove (or you can oven roast on 400º if you prefer and only peel the scorched part of the skin off). Place pepper on cutting board and cut into thin slivers. Now, brown chicken pieces on both sides in same skillet over high heat. Preheat oven to 350º. Remove chicken from skillet and add onion. Saute until onion begins to brown. Add garlic, spices and slivered poblano pepper to pan. Remove from fire and add broth, cream and cheese. Stir in a tiny bit of your preferred thickener. Replace chicken into skillet and pop into 350º oven for about 30 minutes.