Braised Chicken with Tomatillos

By MelanieAnn

For a mild dish, use Anaheim chiles; for a hotter version, use poblanos. If you are unable to find fresh chiles, canned roasted green chiles will do.

Ingredients

• 3 Anaheim or poblano chiles
• 4 tablespoons canola oil
• 3-1/2 pounds chicken pieces such as breast halves, thighs, legs
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-1/2 pounds tomatillos, husked and cut into quarters
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Warm tortillas for serving

Details

Adapted from williamsofsonoma.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat the broiler. Place the chiles on a broiler pan 6 inches from the heat source and broil until charred on all sides. Transfer to a paper bag, close tightly. and let stand for 10 minutes. Peel of the blackened skin from the chiles. Remove the stems, seeds, and ribs; chop finely and set aside.

2. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Working in batches to avoid crowding, add the chicken pieces and brown them on all sides, 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the onion and saute until softened, 3-5 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

4. Add the garlic, roasted chiles, tomatillos, chopped cilantro, and cumin. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan and simmer, covered, turning once, until the chicken pieces are just cooked through and the juices run clear when a thigh is pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter and tent with aluminum foil.

5. Add the lime juice to the pan and cook the sauce over high heat until slightly reduced and thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken pieces and garnish with the cilantro leaves. Serve with the warm tortillas.