[CH] Chicken and Fruit Stew

Judy Howle (howle@ebicom.net)
Sat, 09 Jan 1999 00:13:23 -0600 

Found this online yesterday.  sounds interesting!

Estofado de frutas (chicken and fruit stew)
                Serves 4-6 

                From "The Food and Life of Oaxaca" (Macmillan,
                $32.50) by Zarela Martinez. Make this dish in a
                Mexican lidded clay casserole or an
                old-fashioned American Dutch oven. 

                3 ounce tablet of Mexican chocolate 
                4 pound chicken, cut in serving pieces 
                Salt and black pepper, to taste 
                1/4 cup vegetable oil 
                1 cup sesame seeds 
                4 large ripe tomatoes 
                2 medium onions 
                8 garlic cloves 
                6 large sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried 
                4 sprigs fresh marjoram, or 1/2 teaspoon dried 
                4 sprigs fresh oregano, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
                Mexican oregano 
                1 teaspoon ground black pepper 
                1 1/2-inch stick Mexican cinnamon 
                1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 
                1/4 - 1/2 cup chicken stock or water, as needed 
                2 tart, firm green apples, peeled, cored and
                sliced in 8 wedges 
                1 large ripe plantain, peeled and sliced into
                1/2-inch rounds 
                1/2 cup blanched whole almonds 

                Grate the chocolate on a straight-sided grater; set
                aside. 

                Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large
                Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat
                until not quite smoking. Lightly brown the chicken,
                allowing about 3 minutes per side. Remove from
                the pan and set aside. Pour off and discard all but
                2 tablespoons of fat from the pan; set the pan
                aside. 

                Place the sesame seeds in a medium skillet over
                medium heat. Toast just until golden, stirring
                constantly or shaking the pan. Immediately scrape
                out the seeds into a small bowl before they darken
                and overcook. 

                Heat a heavy ungreased griddle or cast-iron skillet
                over medium low heat until a drop of water
                sizzles on contact. Place the tomatoes (stem side
                down), the unpeeled onions and individual
                unpeeled garlic cloves on a griddle. Cook, turning
                frequently, until the tomatoes are blackened all
                over and the onion and garlic are somewhat
                softened, about 15 to 20 minutes for the tomatoes,
                20 to 25 minutes for the onions and 8 minutes for
                the garlic. Remove the tomatoes, onions and garlic
                from the griddle; when cool enough to handle, peel
                them over a bowl to catch the juices. 

                Place the roasted tomatoes, onions, garlic and
                toasted sesame seeds in a blender with the herbs
                and spices and process until smooth. Over medium
                high heat, reheat the reserved fat in the Dutch oven
                until rippling. Add the pureed mixture and bring to
                a boil, stirring frequently to keep it from
                spattering. Add the chocolate and stir well to
                combine. Lower the heat and simmer, covered,
                stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Thin with
                some chicken stock if the sauce has gotten too
                thick. Return chicken pieces to the Dutch oven.
                Add apple wedges and plaintain rounds, spacing
                them evenly. Scatter almonds over the top. Cover
                and cook over medium heat until the chicken is
                tender, about 20 minutes. Alternately, you can
                transfer the dish to a lidded casserole and bake it
                in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 35 to 40
                minutes. 

                Salsa verde cruda (uncooked green sauce)
                Makes about 2 1/4 cups 

                The recipe for this sauce is from Zarela Martinez'
                soon-to-be published book on Veracruz cooking. It
                can be used with tortilla chips, like guacamole. It
                also goes well with grilled meats, chicken and
                fish. The chunky textured original is made with a
                Mexican stone mortar and pestle, but you can use a
                food processor, adjusting the texture, from chunky
                to smooth, to your liking. 

                2 garlic cloves, cut in chunks 
                1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste 
                1 small white onion, coarsely chopped 
                2-3 (or to taste) serrano chilies, stems removed,
                cut into chunks 
                1/2 pound tomatillos (6-8 average-sized
                tomatillos), cut in quarters 
                4-6 cilantro sprigs 
                1 ripe Hass or Fuerte avocado 

                In a molcajete (lava stone mortar and pestle),
                mash the garlic and salt to a paste. Scrape down
                the sides if necessary with a rubber spatula; add
                the onion and chilies and mash with the pestle.
                Add the tomatillos and cilantro and mash to make
                a slightly chunky puree. Scoop out the avocado
                flesh into the mortar and mash to the desired
                smoothness. Serve within 1 hour (or preferably at
                once).

Judy "MsChile" Howle   

Flavors of the South; Recipes for "heat lovers"		
http://www.ebicom.net/~howle	

Hot and Spicy Food Editor at Suite 101
http://www.suite101.com/topics/page.cfm/462