Chicken Chile Verde

The other half of the chicken leftover from the chicken pho recipe was used to make this dish.

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Recipe adapted from The Anti-Inflammation Cookbook

Chicken Chile Verde

PREPARATION Time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Serving: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/2 cup (120ml) chicken or vegetable stock

• 2 cups (460g) Tomatillo and Jalapeno Salsa Verde or other salsa verde

Method:

1. Rinse the chicken thighs and pat dry with paper towels.  Season generously on both sides with salt and pepper.

2. in a large saute pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil until just smoking.  Working in batches, add the chicken thighs skin-side down and cook until skin is golden brown and very crispy, 5 to 6 minutes.  Turn, cooking the other side for 3 to 4 minutes, then transfer the chicken to a plate.

3. Once all the chicken tights have been seared, pour off any accumulated fat and return the pan to medium-high heat.  Add the chicken stock and salsa verde and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Pour the mixture into a slow cooke and nestle chicken thighs on top.  Cover and cook until chicken is fork-tender, about 2 hours on the high setting or about 4 hours on the low setting.  Skim any excess fat off the surface before serving.

*If you don't have a slow cooker, then you can bake the chicken in a covered stockpot or Dutch over for 1 to 1 1/2 hours at 350 F (175C).

 

Tomatillo and Jalapeno Salsa Verde

PREPARATION Time: 30 minutes/ Cooking Time: 10 minutes/ Makes 3 Cups (690g)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 lb (570g) tomatillos, skins removed and rinsed

• 1 white onion, quartered through the root end and outer skin removed

• 2 jalapenos, halved lengthwise

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• 3 tbsp lime juice, plus more as needed

• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Method:

1. Prepare a grill for cooking over medium-high heat.

2. place the tomatillos, onion, and jalapenos in a large bowl and add the olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt.  Toss to coat evenly, then place in a grilling basket or directly on the grill grates.  Grill, turning the vegetables occasionally, until they begin to lightly char and soften, 5 to 10 minutes.  Remove the vegetables from the grill as they are ready.  (Alternatively, place an oven rack in the top third of an oven and preheat to broil.  Transfer the vegetables to a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil the vegetables, watching closely and turning occasionally, until they are lightly charred and softened, 10 to 15 minutes.) Transfer to the same bowl to catch their juices and let cool to room temperature.

3. placed the cooled vegetables along with their juices in a blender and add the lime juice, cilantro, and another pinch of salt.  Blend on low speed or pulse until mixture reaches the texture of a salsa.  Taste, adding more salt or lime juice as desired.

4. store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

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i was actually in the mood for some mexican flavors and when i found this recipe in my cookbook i was excited to try it out.  plus i was able to find some gluten free tortilla wraps so it all worked out.  tomatillos may be hard to find, so a good SUBSTITUTE are some green peppers (or paprika in germany), the taste won't be exactly the same but very similar as long as you cook the peppers long enough to get them to char a bit.

as i was using the leftover chicken, i made sure to leave the parts that had the skin, so the thighs, legs, and wings to get that nice crispy skin.  we also don't have a slow cooker so i just used our dutch oven to brown the chicken and also to cook the chicken in the oven.  after an hour and half the chicken was so soft, it just fell of the bones.  it isn't the prettiest of dishes but it is very tasty.  i served it with some sliced avocado, red onions, and radishes to add some freshness, a red cabbage and carrot pickled salad to add some sweetness and to balance the spiciness of the dish, and some regular white rice. save some limes, cilantro, and jalapenos for added flavor.  we made a few burritos with the wraps, however you could also just serve it with rice and beans.   it is a nice dish that packs a lot of flavor and spice that doesn't take too much time over the stove to cook.