Summer is here and in about a month or so a lot of you are going to be so bored of chicken on the grill, you won't know what to do with yourselves.
The good news is that I'm here to prematurely ward off fatigue from America's favorite bird, and keep this mundane ingredient interesting with some pollo tomatillo, or chicken in a tomatillo sauce.
Tomatillos are the fruits of the physalis ixocarpa plant, and predate the cultivation of the modern tomato. They are small, green, bitter fruits that are covered by a husk that needs to be removed. Once you remove the husks, give these guys a quick rinse, because they can be rather sticky (ixocarpa actually means sticky fruit). For this recipe, we're going to intensify the mild flavor of the tomatillo, as well as add some new flavors (remember the Maillard effect?), by grilling them before they get pureed to make the base of the salsa verde.
While the tomatillos remain a constant in this recipe, for reasons that are quite obvious, I never make this dish the same way twice, and it always turns out great! Sometimes I use black beans instead of pintos, and when summer rolls around, I like to use fresh corn, rather than hominy (which is perfect for fall or winter).
It's not just the vegetables that change, you can adjust the cuts of chicken to your liking, too! This time I used both white and dark meat, but wings and little drumsticks make for a fun, involved meal as well. You can make the whole thing with chicken breasts too, if you dislike dark meat. Just adjust the cooking time appropriately.
So if you don't try this right away, in a month when you'd rather go vegan than eat another piece of grilled chicken, remember this recipe. Oh, and you're welcome in advance.
Ingredients (for approx. 4 people):
Salsa Verde
1 dried guajillo chile, soaked in warm water to soften
5 tomatillos, husked, halved, and oiled lightly
4 jalapeños
1 lime, for juice
1 avocado
handful of cilantro
1 clove of garlic
The Rest
~ 1 T of oil, for browning chicken
~ 3 lb chicken (depends on cuts, if using boneless, you'll probably want to use less)
1 large carrot (or 2 smaller carrots)
2 jalapeños, thinly sliced into rings
1 bunch broccolini stems (use 1-2 stalks of celery if you cannot find, or do not like broccolini)
1 onion, roughly diced
2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 1/2 C chicken broth or stock
2 ears of corn, kernels removed
8 oz pinto beans, soaked in water to soften
Need metric?
Source:
McGee, Harold. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen.
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