Fresh Mexico_ 100 Simple Recipes for True Mexican Flavor - Marcela Valladolid [27]
CILANTRO TANDOORI CHICKEN WITH GRILLED PINEAPPLE SALSA
* SERVES 4 TO 6
1½ cups plain yogurt
1 cup (packed) fresh cilantro leaves
4 garlic cloves
One ½-inch-thick piece fresh ginger, peeled
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1½ teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
One 4-pound chicken, cut into 6 pieces (2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 legs)
Grilled Pineapple Salsa
I love tandoori-style cooking, derived from India’s clay tandoor oven, because the chicken stays unbelievably moist and juicy, even after grilling. To give new life to the traditional yogurt-based marinade, I add flavors more indigenous to Mexico and pair this dish with a pineapple and serrano salsa.
Combine the yogurt, cilantro, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, and salt in a food processor or blender, and blend until smooth. Transfer the marinade to a large bowl. Add the chicken pieces and turn to coat. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
Prepare a grill to medium-high heat, or heat a grill pan over medium-high heat.
Remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off the excess. Discard the marinade. Grill the chicken for 12 minutes per side, or until just cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a platter, top with the salsa, and serve.
GAME HENS IN APRICOT, TEQUILA, AND CALIFORNIA CHILE SAUCE
SERVES 4
3 cups chicken broth, or more as needed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 tablespoons golden tequila
Two 2-pound Cornish game hens, thawed if frozen
3 California chiles, stemmed and seeded
½ cup apricot preserves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh apricot halves, for garnish
This recipe is one of my favorites ever. It comes from my aunt Marcela, a chef who inspired me to enter the magical world of the culinary arts. We not only share the same name and the same career, we also agree that sweet and spicy is one of the best combinations when preparing Mexican food.
Store-bought apricot preserves, used here, work well; just be sure to buy the best you can find. A kitchen syringe is a useful tool for injecting the hens with a flavorful mixture of broth, butter, and tequila. The result is a moist and succulent dish.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Mix ½ cup of the chicken broth, the melted butter, and 2 tablespoons of the tequila in a small glass bowl. Using a kitchen syringe, inject the mixture all over the hens, about ½ inch deep into the flesh. (If the butter in the mixture solidifies, warm it in a microwave.)
Put the chiles and 2 cups of the broth in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove the pan from the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes to soften the chiles. Then transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Strain the chile mixture into a small bowl, pressing on the sieve to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard whatever is left in the sieve.
Mix ¼ cup of the preserves and ¼ cup of the chile mixture in a medium bowl. Season heavily with salt and pepper. Rub the mixture all over the hens, working some of it between the skin and the breast. Put the hens on a rack in a large roasting pan. Add the remaining ½ cup broth to the roasting pan.
Roast, basting with the pan drippings every 20 minutes, for 1 hour, or until a thermometer inserted into a thigh registers 160°F. Add more broth if the juices begin to dry out.
Transfer the hens to a platter. Strain the pan juices into a medium saucepan. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons tequila, ¼ cup apricot preserves, and chile mixture. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the hens, garnish the platter with fresh apricot halves, and serve.
EASY CHICKEN MOLE
SERVES 4 TO 6
CHICKEN
One 3½-pound whole chicken
2 onions, quartered
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
MOLE SAUCE
5