Posole-inspired Stewed Chicken

The hubby and I have made several trips to Mexico, where we discovered some very tasty food.  I like to recreate many of the things we've eaten, and have never met a recipe I can't make, tho I often alter them to suit my family's tastes.

Posole is typically a chicken soup made with tomatillos, green chiles and hominy.  My husband's not a fan of hominy, so I substituted sweet corn I got at the farmer's market.  I also wanted it to be less of a soup and more like a thick sauce over the meat.  The result is thick, sweet and a bit spicy.

Here's what you'll need:
1 chicken, cut into 8 or 1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts
salt & pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 lb tomatillos, quartered
4 poblano peppers, stems removed & cut in half
1 jalapeno, stem removed
1 bunch green onions, white and light green parts only
4 cloves garlic
1 bunch cilantro
1 - 1 1/2 c water or chicken stock
juice of 2 limes
1 tsp salt
2 ears sweet corn

Preheat oven to 400.

Arrange the tomatillos, peppers, onions and garlic on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake until the tomatillos break down, about 20 minutes.

Using a gas burner or grill, char the 2 ears of corn.

Turn when they show color, until evenly charred.  Remove from heat.

When cool enough to handle, slice the kernels from the ears with a sharp knife.  Set aside.

Heat about 1 TBSP olive oil in a large skillet.  Sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper and cumin.  Quickly sear them in the skillet, about 1 minute on each side.  Remove from the heat.

When the vegetables are done transfer them to a blender or food processor.  Add the cilantro and 1 c water.

Pulse until the mixture is smooth, adding enough remaining water to make a sauce.  Stir in the lime juice and salt.

Pour the sauce over the chicken in the skillet.

Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer.  Cover and let cook about an hour, until the sauce thickens and reduces.

Stir in the corn kernels.

Bring back to a boil.  Cook 1-2 minutes, until the corn is warmed through.

Serve with steamed rice or warmed tortillas.

Enjoy!

Corn on the Cob

Nothing says "summertime" like corn on the cob.  Fortunately, I live in a place where the corn is sweet and readily available, but there is no reason you can't get corn from the grocery store and have it taste delicious. This summer I have heard so many people complain about their corn not being good.  Sometimes, I have bought corn from the same place, and it's been fantastic.  So, that leads me to wonder if technique might be the issue.

I generally cook corn in one of two ways: boiled in a pot, or roasted on the grill.  Let's go through both of them.  Start by picking corn this fresh and the husk tightly closed.  Remove the husks and the silk (hair). Running it under cold water and using a vegetable brush will help remove the last clinging pieces.

First. let's go through boiling.  Place the corn in a pot large enough to allow it to be submerged in water.

Fill the pot with water and add 1 Tablespoon of SUGAR.  I know, the common belief is to add salt, but salt will actually toughen the kernels while the corn cooks.  The sugar helps bring out the natural sweetness.

Bring to a boil.  Boil for 2 minutes.  Cover the pot with a lid, turn off the heat, and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain and eat.

To roast the corn, clean like you would for boiling it, except pat it dry with paper towels.  Preheat your grill to a medium heat.  I use a gas grill, so it heats up pretty quickly.  Place the corn on the grill.

The corn will begin to sizzle, and you'll start to smell it.  Turn the corn when it shows grill marks.

Continue turning the corn, every 2-3 minutes, until it roasted how you like it.

Roasted corn is delicious just like this, with salt and butter.  It also adds great flavor to salsas, chowders and salads.

Enjoy!