Aztec Chowder Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oil in large skillet and carefully drop in half the tortilla strips. Fry in batches until golden brown and crunchy. Place fried tortilla strips on a paper towel-lined plate and pat dry. Sprinkle salt on tortillas, tossing to coat both sides.
• Using a blender or food processor, blend tomatoes, onion and cilantro until completely pureed.
• In a saucepan, heat chicken broth, chipotle chili, and pureed vegetables. Bring to a boil; remove from heat. Ladle soup into serving bowls. Prior to serving, add tortilla strips and avocado. Buen provecho!

Steps:

• To make Aztec Soup: In a large pot, heat the extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes, until golden. Throw in the minced chipotles, red onion, cumin, smoked cayenne, smoked paprika, sea salt, freshly ground pepper and saute for 8 minutes. Deglaze the pot with chicken broth and add the tomatoes, Greek oregano, chicken meat and the sprig of epazote. Stir. Partially cover pot and simmer soup for about 40 minutes.
• Boil some salted water in a separate pot. Throw in the wild rice and simmer for 40 minutes. Strain.
• Heat a grill pan on medium-high heat. Brush some canola oil on the ears of corn. Grill the corn for a few seconds on all sides until marked. Slice off the corn niblets. Add the corn, wild rice, and cooked black beans to the soup. Season the soup with brown sugar, sea salt, freshly ground pepper and coriander (cilantro) to taste.
• Serve this soup with a dollop of creme fraiche, crispy tortillas and a squirt of fresh lime juice.
• To make 'Liquid Gold' Chicken Broth: Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the crushed garlic cloves and saute for 2 minutes, until garlic is golden. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Season the vegetables with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Saute for about 8 minutes. Cut the organic chicken and chicken bones into pieces. Really hack into it so that the bones and marrow are exposed. Add the chicken pieces and pint of chicken bones to the pot. Fill the pot with water until it just covers all the chicken, and bring to a boil.
• Tie the parsley, celery leaves, bay leaf, thyme, and tarragon into a bouquet using butcher's twine or kitchen twine. Add the bouquet to the pot along with the black peppercorns.
• Once the broth has begun to boil, bring the heat down to medium-low. Partially cover, and let the broth simmer for 2 to 3 hours.
• Strain the chicken broth through cheesecloth. Hand-pick the good chicken meat and set it aside.
• Refrigerate the broth overnight. Slip a sharp knife around the edges of solidified chicken fat and discard.

Steps:

• Combine oil, honey, ancho chile powder, garlic, and hot sauce in a bowl; whisk together. Place chicken breasts in a large resealable plastic bag; pour in marinade and close bag. Marinate in refrigerator, 3 hours to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet. Place corn in a shallow baking pan. Brush with canola oil; season with salt and pepper. Cover pan with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until corn is roasted and brown, about 25 minutes. Continue baking until sweet potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes more.
• Allow corn and sweet potatoes to cool until easy to handle, about 20 minutes. Cut kernels from ears of corn; transfer half to a blender. Peel and cube sweet potatoes; add to the blender. Add cream; puree. Transfer mash to a bowl; stir in the remaining corn. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm.
• Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Remove chicken from bag and place on preheated grill; discard remaining marinade. Cook until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 6 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• Cut chicken breasts into 3 equal pieces; serve on top of sweet potato-corn mash.

Steps:

• Rinse beans. Soak in chicken stock in large pot 8 hours.
• * Bring beans and stock to boil, reduce heat and simmer until beans are tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Remove from heat and let cool.
• * Melt butter in saucepan. Add chicken and saute over medium-high heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Add onion, chile and garlic and saute until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.
• * Puree half of cooked beans and cayenne in blender until smooth. Add cooked beans with cooking stock, bean puree and whipping cream to chicken and vegetables in saucepan. Bring to boil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
• * Ladle chowder into bowls. Top with tortilla chips and cheese if desired.