Here is a real nice chicken recipe I made today:
3 lbs of chicken pieces (I use drumsticks - skin optional)
2 or 3 chicken thighs or small chicken breast - cubed
olive oil
one dried ancho chile, and one dried new mexican (mild) chile, or two of either type
2 tsp dried mexican oregano
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp thyme
1 large onion, chopped
2 minced garlic cloves
2 cups uncooked rice (I like brown basmati)
3 cups chicken stock
3 small roma tomatoes
1 bay leaf
3/4 pound of chorizo sausage - cut into 3/4" slices
1 cup frozen peas
3/4 cup whole black olives
grind up the ancho and new mexican chiles in a (clean) coffee grinder. put 2 tsp of the ground mix in a bowl (set the rest aside for another time). add the oregano, cumin, thyme, and salt to the bowl and mix well.
coat the chicken with olive oil and rub the spice mixture onto the chicken. Let the chicken sit overnight in the fridge.
the next day, preheat your oven to 350. Chop up your onion, tomatoes, and chorizo.
in a large dutch oven, heat some olive oil to medium high and fry the chicken in the oil - just enough to brown the outsides - it doesn't have to be totally cooked.
Remove the chicken from the pot and add the onion and garlic. When the onion begins to soften, throw in the uncooked rice and cook for a few minutes, be sure to stir around and get the good flavour bits off the bottom of the pot.
Arrange the chicken in the pot on top of the rice mixture. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock and bay leaf. Cover and bake in oven for 45 minutes.
While baking, brown the chorizo and drain the excess fat.
After 45 minutes, remove from oven and add the peas, chorizo and olives and put back in the oven for another 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and let it sit for 10 minutes, then serve.
Hints:
- a really smoky dried chorizo goes really well in this recipe (when I bring leftovers to work it drives people nuts, they love the smell of it). Next time I make it I might try substituting a smoky hot pepper for one of the two peppers and see how it is, but it is excellent as described.
