As always, I love trying out new recipes. Now that we are living in a location where Mexican food and ingredients are highly accessible and thanks to a recent TV show, I got excited about making this dish! It’s perfect for a dinner party of 4 if served with rice. But, last night, it was the perfect portion for 2! Carb excluded.

Braised Chicken with Tomatillos and Jalapenos served with Lime Sour Cream

The Ingredients

 

For the chicken

6 large tomatillos, husked

2 large jalapenos

Extra-virgin olive oil

10 chicken drumsticks

salt

1 large yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

3 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped

2 cups chicken stock

2 small limes, zested and juiced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus a few more leaves for garnish

 

For the lime sour cream

1/2 cup sour cream

2 small limes, zested and juiced

 

First, preheat the grill. Next, place the tomatillos and jalapenos on the grill and cook until the skins char and blister on all sides for about 10 to 12 minutes. Then, remove the tomatillos and jalapenos from the grill and let them cool.

In a large, wide straight-sided saute pan, big enough to fit all the drumsticks at once, coat with olive oil and bring to medium-high heat.

Now, prep the chicken by seasoning it generously with salt. Then, place them skin-side down into the hot pan. At this time, work in batches. Do not overcrowd the pan. We do not want it to boil but brown the chicken well on all sides. Once browned, remove from the pan and set them aside.

At this time, get rid of the excess fat from the pan and add a few drops of new oil. Add in the onions, season it with salt and saute until they are very soft and aromatic for about 7 to 8 minutes.

While the onions are sautéing, coarsely chop the tomatillos and reserve. Then, chop the jalapenos into 1/4-inch dice and set it aside with the tomatillos. If you prefer to tone down the heat, remove the seeds from the jalapenos before chopping. Personally, I like it hot so I only removed the seeds from half a jalapeno.

Once the onions are soft and aromatic, add the garlic to the pan and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.

Now, add the tomatillos and jalapenos. Stir. Then, add the chicken stock, lime juice and zest. IMPORTANT: ALWAYS TASTE! Season with salt if needed especially before adding the chicken. FYI, the latter is not yet cooked.

At this point, return the chicken drumsticks to the pan and bring it to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to low to simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes.

Once time is up, remove the lid and continue to cook for another 15 minutes. This will allow the stock to reduce and cook the chicken drumsticks for a little longer. FYI, dark meat requires longer cooking time than chicken breast. Once again, be sure to taste for seasoning and adjust if needed.

Now, combine the sour cream with the lime zest and juice for the Lime Sour Cream and set it aside.

When the chicken is cooked, remove them from the pan and stir in the cilantro. Then, spoon the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with cilantro leaves and serve with the lime sour cream.

(Recipe from Anne Burrell’s, Secret of a Restaurant Chef)