"This is an everyday dish for my family. When I was pregnant, I once had three plates of pollo enchipotlado (chicken in a creamy chipotle sauce) and still didn't feel full. I couldn't get enough of the creamy chipotle sauce; it's so decadent. It is similar to a tinga and is one of those dishes that you don't really find in restaurants in Oaxaca. It is more of a dish that you cook for yourself and your loved ones to enjoy at home– a "mom dish," as I like to call them. The perfect way to eat this is by tearing off big pieces of tortilla and repetitively using them as a utensil to pick up the tender pieces of chicken. No fork or spoons necessary. Adding the crema on top at the end amplifies the richness of the sauce."
Pollo Enchipotlado
4
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Recipe Intro From bricialopez
This recipe is reprinted with permission from Oaxaca: Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico, by Bricia Lopez and the family behind LA's Guelaguetza with Javier Cabral, printed by Abrams (2019).
Details
Prep time 10mins
Cook time 40mins
Serves or Makes: 4-6
Recipe
- 1 (2 pound) whole chicken, butchered into 8 pieces
- Sea salt
- Black peppercorns, freshly ground
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 5 1/ 4 cups chopped tomatoes
- 1/ 2 small white onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 whole chipotles in adobo, plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce (add an extra tablespoon of sauce for a spicier dish)
- 3 bay leaves
- Mexican crema, for garnish
Method
Step 1
Season the chicken generously with salt, pepper, and the Dijon mustard. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Step 2
Cook the tomatoes in a pot over medium-high heat with just enough water to cover them, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.
Step 3
Preheat your oven's broiler to its highest setting. Place the chopped onion on a baking sheet and broil for 10 minutes on your oven's highest rack, until lightly charred. Add the garlic to the pan and broil for another 5 minutes. Set aside.
Step 4
Heat the oil and butter in a very large, deep skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. When the fat starts to smoke, drop the seasoned chicken into the pan and brown it on each side for about 5 minutes.
Step 5
Meanwhile, in a blender, mix the charred garlic and onion, the cooked tomatoes, and the chipotle chiles and adobo sauce until finely pureed. Pass through a double-fine-mesh strainer for a velvety texture.
Step 6
Add the chipotle mixture to the skillet along with the bay leaves and mix well with the chicken. Bring to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 10 minutes. Once the sauce starts to change color and the texture resembles heavy cream, it is ready.
Step 7
Drizzle with Mexican crema.