Pozole Verde with Chicken
The recipe is adapted from Food & Wine. If you need to cut corners when making it, use store-bought chicken broth. But try, try, try to find dried pozole (Rancho Gordo carries it) or get dried maiz and "Cal" at the mexican grocery and prep it yourself. It's not hard, just takes time so it is good to prep it the day before. Only use canned hominy if you're in a real pinch -- it just doesn't have the same corn flavor as dried.
2 cups water
4 chicken breast halves
1 pound tomatillos, husked and halved
1 small onion, quartered, plus more for serving
4 chiles, preferably Hatch chiles, cored, seeded, and quartere
4 large garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, quartered, plus more for serving
4 chiles, preferably Hatch chiles, cored, seeded, and quartere
4 large garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
About 8-10 cups or so Nixtamalizated Maiz or 3 (15-ounce) cans of hominy, drained
Cabbage, finely shredded, for serving
Cilantro
Radish, sliced, for serving
Onion, chopped, for serving
Avocado, diced, for serving
Tortilla chips, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving
Directions
Onion, chopped, for serving
Avocado, diced, for serving
Tortilla chips, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving
Directions
- In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, bring the chicken stock and water to a boil.
- Add the chicken breasts and simmer over very low heat until they're tender and cooked through, about 25 minutes. Skim and discard any fat from the cooking liquid and set the liquid aside.
- Transfer the chicken breasts to a cutting board or plate and, once cool enough to handle, shred the meat.
- In a blender, make the Salsa. Combine the halved tomatillos with the browned onion, chiles, smashed garlic, chopped cilantro, and oregano. Pulse until coarsely chopped, scraping down the sides.
- With the machine on, add 1 cup of the cooking liquid and puree until smooth. Season the tomatillo puree with salt and pepper.
- In a large, deep skillet, heat the vegetable oil until shimmering. Add the tomatillo puree and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce turns a deep green, about 12 minutes.
- Pour the green sauce into the cooking liquid in the casserole. Add the hominy and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Add the shredded chicken to the stew, season with salt and pepper, and cook just until heated through.
- Serve the pozole in deep bowls, passing the cabbage, cilantro, radishes, onion, avocado, tortilla chips, and lime wedges at the table.
