CHICKEN POZOLE VERDE

oh yesss...
i have found a new favorite.

CHICKEN POZOLE VERDE


served as a soup or a stew, a main course or a starter, this one is a winner. the verde broth is so good it would work well with any meat. tonight i had it with some fresh Tilapia and it was delicious. this yummy verde base might be something i would make ahead and freeze (haven't tried the freezing yet) in portions. you could just throw in some rotisserie chicken or pulled pork or white fish and call it a day. a delicious day.

this Pozole is so good i just couldn't wait for the condiments. actually, i would suggest trying it this way first to get the full flavor of the stew itself. sometimes one can get carried away with all the extras that you lose sight of the original.

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hominy...what a fabulous little nugget that i must have forgot about. i haven't had it in years. i wasn't expecting it to bring such a great flavor to the dish. i couldn't pin point the flavor until i realized it was kind of like someone had infused, fresh off the press, corn tortillas into ever bite. you know that aroma and taste of a warm tortilla brought home from the tortillaria when the bag is still warm?

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note about the chicken...i would suggest that you not try to save time or calories by using boned skinned breasts. your broth will be better and your chicken will be more moist with bone and skin on. to skim the fat i strained the broth through paper towel and it worked quite well, making this soup on the more healthy side. all good stuff.

CHICKEN POZOLE VERDE

with many thanks to Anya Von Bremzan and Food and Wine.

Ingredients
7 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
2 cups water
4 chicken breast halves on the bone, with skin
1 pound tomatillos, husked and halved

1 small onion, quartered
2 poblano chiles—cored, seeded and quartered
2 jalapeños, seeded and quartered
4 large garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon oregano leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Three 15-ounce cans of hominy, drained
Finely shredded iceberg lettuce, sliced radishes, chopped onion, diced avocado, sour cream, tortilla chips and lime wedges, for serving

Directions
In a large, enameled cast-iron casserole, bring the chicken stock and water to a boil. Add the chicken breasts, skin side down, cover and simmer over very low heat until they’re tender and cooked through, about 25 minutes. Transfer the chicken breasts to a plate and shred the meat; discard the bones and skin. Skim any fat from the cooking liquid and reserve.
In a blender, combine the halved tomatillos with the quartered onion, poblanos and jalapeños, smashed garlic, chopped cilantro and oregano. Pulse until coarsely chopped, scraping down the side. With the machine on, add 1 cup of the cooking liquid and puree until smooth. Season the tomatillo puree with salt and pepper.
In a large deep skillet, heat the vegetable oil until shimmering. Add the tomatillo puree and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce turns a deep green, about 12 minutes.
Pour the green sauce into the cooking liquid in the casserole. Add the hominy and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Add the shredded chicken to the stew, season with salt and pepper and cook just until heated through.

Serve the pozole in deep bowls, passing the lettuce, radishes, onion, avocado, sour cream, tortilla chips and lime wedges at the table.

this soup/stew keeps really well, and as any soup just deepens with flavors the next day. this can definitely be made ahead and enjoyed all week.

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