Pollo Poblano Recipes

Steps:

• In a heavy Dutch oven or stockpot, fry the bacon over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until it starts to brown. Toss in the onions, half of the diced Poblanos, the salt and pepper and cook until slightly golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Spoon out any excess fat. Stir in the garlic and cook briefly just to release the aroma, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock, add the potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook 20 minutes. Puree in a food processor or blender just until smooth, being careful not to over-process. Over-working will result in a gummy soup. Return to the pot, stir in the Crema, Creme Fraiche or sour cream and bring just to a boil. Stir in the remaining Poblanos for garnish. Sprinkle with grated Anejo, if desired, and serve hot.

Steps:

• Lay chicken breasts on cutting board and slice them on an angle into 3 thinner pieces each. Heat oil in non-stick skillet. Sear poblano pepper on both sides until brown. Cool and peel off any of the cellophane-like tough skin you can remove (or you can oven roast on 400º if you prefer and only peel the scorched part of the skin off). Place pepper on cutting board and cut into thin slivers. Now, brown chicken pieces on both sides in same skillet over high heat. Preheat oven to 350º. Remove chicken from skillet and add onion. Saute until onion begins to brown. Add garlic, spices and slivered poblano pepper to pan. Remove from fire and add broth, cream and cheese. Stir in a tiny bit of your preferred thickener. Replace chicken into skillet and pop into 350º oven for about 30 minutes.

Steps:

• In a large stock pot, parboil the chicken in water seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. Drain, reserving cooking broth, and refrigerate until ready to assemble the dish.
• Prepare the Mole Poblano. Clean the chiles by removing stems, veins, and seeds; reserve 1 tablespoon of the seeds. Heat 1/2 cup of the oil in a heavy skillet until it shimmers. Fry the chiles until crisp, about 10 to 15 seconds, turning once; make sure they do not burn. Drain on paper towels. Put the chiles in a nonreactive bowl, cover with hot water, and set aside for 30 minutes. Drain the chiles, reserving the soaking water. Puree the chiles in a blender with enough of the soaking water to make a smooth paste. It may be necessary to scrape down the sides and blend several times to obtain a smooth paste. In a heavy Dutch oven heat an additional 1/2 cup oil over medium heat and add the chile puree (be careful - it will splatter). Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Puree the tomatillos in a blender. In a coffee or spice grinder, grind the cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, and toasted seeds. Add the seed mixture and the garlic to the pureed tomatillos and blend until smooth. Set aside.
• Heat 6 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy frying pan. Fry each of the following ingredients and then remove with a slotted spoon: the raisins until they puff up; the almonds to a golden brown; the pumpkin seeds until they pop. If necessary, add enough oil to make 4 tablespoons and fry the tortilla pieces and bread slices until golden brown, about 15 seconds per side; remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon. Add raisins, almonds, pumpkins seeds, tortillas, and bread to the tomatillo puree and blend, using 1 to 2 cups of the reserved chicken broth, as needed, to make a smooth sauce. This may have to be done in batches. In a heavy Dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Add the chile puree, the tomatillo puree, and the Mexican chocolate (be careful - it will splatter). Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring often. Add the remaining 5 cups of chicken broth, cook over low heat for an additional 45 minutes, stirring often enough to prevent the mixture from scorching on the bottom. During the last 15 minutes of cooking time, add the parboiled chicken and heat through. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve with white rice.

Steps:

• In a medium bowl place the red chile powder, sesame seeds, almonds, crushed tortilla, raisins, garlic, anise seeds, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, tomatoes, salt, peppercorns, and 2 cups of the chicken stock. Mix the ingredients together and pour them into a blender. Puree the mixture until it is a thick paste.
• Place the other 3 cups of chicken stock in a medium large sauce pan and heat it. While stirring constantly, gradually add the blended paste. Bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat and add the chocolate. Simmer the sauce until the chocolate has melted and a thick gravy is formed.
• In a large saucepan, half filled with boiling water, place the chicken. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer the chicken for 15 minutes. Broil the chicken 5-10 minutes on each side or until it is nicely browned. Serve it with the sauce.