World Recipes

Shredded Chicken or Turkey (Pollo o Pavo Deshebrado)

4 bone-in chicken breasts
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves

Put all ingredients into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook the chicken about 25 to 30 minutes, or until it is very tender.

Let the chicken cool for about 10 minutes in the liquid.

Remove the breasts and let them cool a bit for easy handling.

Shred the chicken into bite-size pieces. Save the cooking liquid for sauces or soups.

Simple Deshebrado
Simmer chicken or turkey breasts in water to cover until just done. Remove the meat, reserving the broth for another use.

When the meat is cool enough to handle, remove it from the bones, cut it into 1-inch pieces, and shred it in a food processor fitted with the plastic blade.

Rolled Enchiladas

12 corn tortillas
Oil (to soften tortillas)
1 recipe Shredded Chicken
Enchilada sauce
1/4 pound Monterey jack cheese, grated

Heat vegetable oil, soften the tortillas, and drain them on absorbent towels. Coat the tortillas with some of the sauce, then roll the chicken in the tortillas.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place 3 rolled enchiladas on each of 4 ovenproof serving plates. Pour sauce over the enchiladas and top with the cheese. Heat in the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling.

Serves 4.

Pomegranate Chicken

1 large stewing hen
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 (16 ounce) can tomatoes, sieved
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of azafran
1/4 cup blanched almonds
1/4 cup raisins
1 cup Malaga wine
Seeds of 1 pomegranate
Avocado (optional)

Cut up the chicken. Heat oil, and lightly fry chicken until brown on all sides, about 30 minutes.

Add tomatoes, broth, cloves, pepper, cinnamon, azafran, almonds and raisins. Cover; reduce heat. Simmer gently until meat is tender and sauce has thickened (about 25 minutes).

Add wine, then simmer 5 minutes more. If sauce is soupy, grind 2 slices of white bread in a blender and add to thicken.

Remove chicken to a serving platter. Pour sauce around it. Sprinkle chicken with pomegranate seeds. Garnish with avocado slices.

Serves 6.

Pollo Picante (Spicy Chicken)

1 cup all-purpose flour
6 chicken legs with thighs attached
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, sliced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 cloves garlic

Preheat oven to350 degrees F.

Put flour in a paper sack or plastic bag. Shake the chicken pieces one at a time in the bag until coated with flour. Heat oil in a large frying pan and brown the chicken on all sides. Remove from the pan and arrange in a shallow 3 to 4-quart baking dish. Top with sliced onion, jalapeno peppers and red pepper.

Blend the sour cream, milk, salt, pepper, cayenne and garlic in a blender until smooth and pour over the chicken. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the chicken is fork tender.

Serve with rice or noodles.

Serves 6.

Cheesy Chicken with Chiles

6 (8-inch) flour tortillas
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 chicken cutlets
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 (11 ounce) can corn
2 roasted green chiles, skins and seeds
    removed, diced, or 1 (4 ounce) can green chiles, diced
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Heat oil in a large skillet. Coat chicken with flour. Add chicken to skillet and cook 1 to 2 minutes per side until golden. Remove to paper towels to drain.

Wipe out skillet. Add enchilada sauce and corn and bring to a boil.

Drain and coarsely chop chiles. Arrange cutlets on sauce. Top with chiles and cheese. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 1 to 2 minutes until cheese melts.

Slice scallions and sprinkle over top.

To serve put 1 cutlet and some sauce on a pre-warmed tortilla. Fold or roll up.

Pavo Asado (Roast Turkey)

Stuffing
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup onions, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 pound ground pork
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can tomatoes
1/4 cup juice from can of tomatoes
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/2 cup dried pears
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup dried apples
1/4 cup raisins
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon sage
1 1/2 cups dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Put oil in a skillet over moderate heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft but not browned. Add pork and continue cooking, stirring constantly, to break up the meat until it is browned.

Add drained tomatoes plus 1/4 cup of the juice from the can. Then add the remaining ingredients except the bread crumbs, butter and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until most of the juice has either evaporated or thickened, about 10 minutes.

Add bread crumbs and butter, stirring vigorously to make sure they are completely incorporated into the dish. Add salt.

The stuffing can either be cooked inside the turkey or baked, covered, at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or more.

Stuff the turkey with the stuffing, then baste it well with the sauce. Place the turkey in a preheated 350 degrees F oven and roast until done, basting it every 30 minutes.

Baste
3 New Mexico or ancho dried chiles,
stemmed and seeded
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Soak the chiles in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes, then place them in a blender with the garlic and vinegar. Add enough water to make a total of 3/4 cup and blend for 1 minute. Add the oil to the blender and pulse once or twice or just until it is mixed with the chiles.

Orange-Pineapple Chicken (Pollo con Jugo de Naranja)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (3 to 3 1/2 pound) broiler-fryer chicken, cut up
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup dark rum
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds

Mix flour, salt and pepper. Coat chicken with flour mixture.

Heat oil in 12-inch skillet until hot. Cook chicken over medium heat until brown on all sides, about 15 minutes.

Place chicken in ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking dish.

Mix remaining ingredients except almonds; pour over chicken. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F, spooning juices over chicken occasionally, until thickest pieces of chicken are done, 40 to 50 minutes.

Sprinkle with almonds.

Yields 6 servings.

Nogales Chicken

4 cups corn chips, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
6 chicken breast halves
1/4 cup mayonnaise

In a shallow dish combine first four ingredients.

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Brush all sides with mayonnaise; coat with chip mixture. Place skin side up in a shallow roasting pan. Bake at 425 degrees F for 45 minutes or until fork-tender.