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Title: Ancho Rubbed Chicken
Categories: Chile
Yield: 4 Servings
6 Ancho (or Mulato) peppers, rehydrated 6 cl garlic 1/4 ts oregano 1/2 ts sugar 1/2 ts salt 1/2 c fine corn meal 1/2 c coarse corn meal 1/2 c flour 1 tb black pepper 1 tb chile powder 2 whole chicken breasts, boned, skinned, and split White flour (for dusting)
The Rub: 6 Ancho (or Mulato) peppers, rehydrated 6 cl garlic, minced 1/4 ts oregano flakes 1/2 ts sugar 1/2 ts salt
Toast dried peppers on a hot iron skillet; remove stem; slit and remove seeds Place peppers in a pan; cover with water; bring to a boil; remove from heat; let stand for 1 hour. Place all rub ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth; run mixture through a food mill (fine filter) if possible. Should be a thick paste.
Seasoned coating: 1/2 cup fine corn meal 1/2 cup coarse corn meal 1/2 cup flour 1 tbs black pepper 1 tbs chile powder
Mix ingredients thoroughly
Chicken:
2 whole chicken breasts, boned, skinned, and split; rinse and pat dry Separate the tenderloins from each breast; you'll now have 8 pieces of chicken Pound chicken flat to about 50% increase in size Score meat with sharp knife in a 1/2 inch criss cross pattern
Preparation:
Lightly dust chicken meat on all sides with flour, allow to dry for 5 minutes. With a butter knife, spread the ancho paste evenly on one side of the chicken pieces; rub into the scored pattern (should be enough paste to "hide" the chicken meat). Sprinkle liberally with seasoned coating; pat it into the paste; allow to dry for 5 min. Turn chicken pieces over and repeat the paste and coating process on other side of meat.
Pour 1 cup of olive oil into a hot iron skillet; add 1/4 stick of butter; reduce heat to medium. Don't crowd the chicken in the pan (cook breasts first, followed by tenderloins); for each batch: cook, covered, for 5 minutes; turn the meat; cook for another 5 minutes. Remove meat, place on a warming rack in a 300 degree oven. Continue cooking remaining meat. Notes:
I served this with a yellow corn and black bean salsa, cooked for about 5 minutes with onions, 1 tsp balsamic vinegar, and 1/4 cup chicken broth.
I got the idea for this from "Great Chefs of the East", and changed it slightly for the ingredients at hand:
Leftover chicken makes great sandwiches, too. Jim Maslanka previous next