Pollo en escabeche oriental (shredded chicken yucatan)

4 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
10 Peppercorns
¼ teaspoon Ground oregano
½ teaspoon Salt
2 Cloves garlic -- crushed
1 tablespoon Vinegar
2 larges Red onions
2 Heads garlic
Juice of 3 bitter oranges *
3 pounds Chicken legs and thighs
Water
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Ground oregano
1 Xcatic chile **
1 Habanero chile -- seeds
Removed
2 Serrano chiles -- seeds
Removed
Flour tortillas

Directions

* or mix 1 cup lime juice with ½ cup orange juice ** or substitute yellow wax hot

Place the peppercorns, oregano, and salt in a spice or coffee grinder and grind to a powder. Combine this powder with the garlic and vinegar and make a paste. Set aside.

Roast one of the onions and both heads of garlic in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes. Let cool.

Peel the remaining onion, slice it into rings, and marinate it in the bitter orange juice.

Place the chicken in a stockpot with water to cover, salt and oregano, and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 30 minutes.

Drain the chicken, reserving the broth, and transfer it to an oven-proof dish. Add the peppercorn paste and 2 tablespoons of the bitter orange juice, and bake uncovered at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Peel the roasted onions and garlic and combine them with the resreved chicken stock. add the chiles and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the marinated onion, bring to a boil, and remove from the heat immediately.

Drain the broth and reserve both the broth and the chiles and onions.

Separate the chiles from the onion and coarsely chop them.

Skin the chicken and shred the meat from the bones. Add the chopped chiles and the onion to the chicken and mix well. Reduce the stock by boiling to 1½ cups and add it to the chicken mixture until the mixture is moist but not soupy.

Serve the chicken with Salsa Xcatic and Salsa de Aguacate (see recipes) on the side.

Recipe By : Chile Pepper Magazine - Oct. 1992

Related recipes