Cooking for Friends
Recently, a good friend of mine suffered a severe medical condition. They are recovering, but their lives will probably never be the same. When I heard they had progressed to being able to eat on their own, I immediately began mulling over what I could make them, what we could eat together, how I could make them feel loved by preparing something that I know they will enjoy.
That is what food should do - bring people together, comfort and embody love. Here is one of the dishes my friend and I shared.
Chicken Pozole Verde
1 whole chicken
1/2 pound tomitillos - husks removed, rinsed and halved
1 large onion - quartered
3 dried chipotle, ancho or gaujillo chiles - stems and seeds removed
2 fresh poblano chilies - seeded, ribbed and quartered
1 jalepeno - seeded, ribbed and quartered
1 serrano - seeded and ribbed (optional for extra heat)
1/4 cup neutral oil (such as grape seed) - divided
3 - 15oz cans drained hominy
2 Tbls fresh oregano (or 1 Tbls dried oregano - preferable Mexican)
2 Tbls ground cumin
2 Tbls chopped garlic
6-8 cups chicken stock (depending on how soupy you like your pozole)
Bunch of cilantro (stems for soup, leaves for garnish)
Sliced radish (for garnish)
Cubed avocado (for garnish)
Crumbled cotija (for garnish)
Lime wedges (for garnish)
Optional: tortilla chips
Start by soaking the dried chilies in boiling water for 15 mins
Next spatchcock the chicken chicken. Salt and pepper the chicken and put in a in a heavy stock pot or dutch oven on high heat with a Tbls of oil. Put the chicken in skin side down and sear for 3-4 mins. Flip over and sear for another 3-4 mins. Add stock, bay leaf and thyme sprig, and gently simmer for 30-35 mins.
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Lay the poblanos, tomatillos, jalapeño, serrano and onion on a lightly greased baking sheet (or lined with parchment) and roast for 10-15 mins (just starting to show browning)
Put in a blender the tomatillos, poblanos, jalapeño and serrano (1/2 to all, depending on how spicy you want your pozole), cilantro stems, onion and soaked chilies and pulse until well chopped and blended but just before it is pureed (be carefully if the veggies are hot - put a dishcloth over the blender to avoid splatters).
Once the chicken is cooked through, remove them from the broth with a slotted spoon. Cut or shred into big chunks. Return to the broth. (keep bones and skin to ccok down for broth for another use). Remove bay leaf and thyme stems and add cumin and oregano.
Heat the the rest of the oil in a large, high sided skillet. When oil is heated pour in tomatillo mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally until deep green (make sure all is smelling cooked and deepening in color otherwise the pozole will be bitter) about 15 - 20 mins.
Add the tomatillo mixture, and cans of drained pozole to the broth and chicken. Taste and salt and pepper liberally. Heat through.
Ladle into bowls and top with sliced radishes, chopped cilantro, crumbled cotija, chunked avocado and a lime wedge with a side of tortilla chips.
*adapted from NYTCooking, Isabel Eats, Stellanspice and Food and Wine
