Tomatillo Braised Chicken
with Grilled Tortillas & Seared Sweet Peppers
Cooking time
30 minutes
Servings
2/4
Calories
610 /serving
Marvellous Mexico lends us its flavours for this feast, which smothers tender chicken in a sultry sauce you’ll make in a flash from tomatillos, shallot, spices and the chicken’s own fond. You’ll sprinkle the stewed meat with some salty, tangy Cotija cheese for added authenticity, and serve a few seared peppers on the side, for sweetness. Help yourself to some warm tortillas to scoop up this delight.
We will send you:
- 4 Chicken thighs (or 2 chicken breasts; or 4 bone-in chicken thighs; or 2 bone-in chicken legs; or 6 chicken drumsticks)
- 140g Sweet peppers
- 1 Shallot (or onion)
- 225g Tomatillos (or green tomatoes)
- 15ml Red wine vinegar
- 7g Honey
- 60g Cotija cheese
- 4 Wheat flour tortillas
- 8g Smoky Mexican Moment spice blend (smoked paprika, paprika, coriander, cumin, garlic flakes, oregano, black peppercorns, cloves, allspice, cinnamon)
Contains: Milk, Sulphites, Wheat
You will need:
Small pot (or kettle)
Medium pan
Large pan
Oil
Salt & pepper
Medium heatproof bowl
Total Fat
30 g
Saturated Fat
10 g
Sodium
900 mg
Total Carb
43 g
Sugars
12 g
Protein
46 g
Fibre
8 g
Preparation
Start the chicken
In a large pan, heat a drizzle of oil on medium-high. Pat the chicken dry with paper towel; season with ½ the spice blend and S&P. Add the chicken thighs to the pan and cook, partially covered, 2 to 3 minutes per side, until partially cooked (if you received a different cut of chicken, find your alternate cooking method at www.makegoodfood.ca/chicken). Transfer to a plate, leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan. Reserve the pan.
Mise en place
While the chicken cooks, in a small pot (or kettle), bring ½ cup water (double for 4 portions) to a boil. Halve the sweet peppers lengthwise and core. Remove the husks from the tomatillos; small-dice the tomatillos. Peel, halve and thinly slice the shallot. In a medium heatproof bowl, combine ½ the shallot with the boiled water. Let sit, 2 to 3 minutes, until softened. Thoroughly drain the softened shallot and return to the bowl; add the red wine vinegar, season with S&P to taste, and set aside to marinate as you complete the next steps.
Make the tomatillo sauce
In the reserved pan of fond, heat a drizzle of oil on medium-high. Add the remaining shallot and cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the tomatillos and cook, scraping up any fond from the bottom of the pan, 2 to 3 minutes (3 to 5 minutes for 4 portions), until softened; season with a pinch of the spice blend and S&P to taste. Add the honey and ½ cup water (double for 4 portions); cook, 2 to 3 minutes (3 to 5 minutes for 4 portions), until thickened.
Finish the chicken
To the pan of sauce, add the partially cooked chicken thighs*. Cook, partially covered, 6 to 8 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened. (If you received an alternate cut of chicken, cook down the tomatillo sauce by itself, 5 to 7 minutes; add the cooked chicken and flip in the sauce, 1 to 2 minutes, until thoroughly coated.)
Cook the sweet peppers
While the chicken cooks, in a medium pan, heat a drizzle of oil on medium-high. Add the sweet peppers to the pan and cook, 2 to 4 minutes per side, until beginning to brown and soften; season with the remaining spice blend and S&P to taste. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Wipe out and reserve the pan.
Warm the tortillas & serve
Heat the same pan on medium. Working in batches, add the tortillas to the pan and cook, 1 to 2 minutes per side, until warmed through. Divide the finished tomatillo braised chicken and sweet peppers between your plates. Top the chicken and sauce with the pickled shallot (drain beforehand) and Cotija cheese. Serve the warm tortillas on the side. Bon appétit!
*Health Canada recommends cooking poultry to a minimum internal temperature of 74°C.
