Whenever we make a trip to Costco, I always stop to browse the books aisle, and every once in a while I come across some finds that make their way into the cart. Earlier this summer I found a big paperback book simply called Thai & Asian by Deh-Ta Hsiung (previously published as Thai and South-East Asian Food and Cooking). With a plethora of gorgeous dishes from Thailand, China, Vietnam, Japan, and Korea, as well as over 100 pages of information on ingredients and proper Asian cooking gear, this book was a no-brainer and a bargain at US$9.99. My memories of the food I enjoyed on a trip to Koh Samui and Phuket in the mid 90s are imprinted in my head, and I’ve enjoyed introducing my family to the wonders of Thai flavors over the years. Perhaps someday I’ll get a chance to go back to Thailand; I would so enjoy a trip to Chiang Mai, but until then I’ll have to keep cooking Thai at home.

Lemongrass is a frequently used ingredient in Thai and southeast Asian cooking, and for years I tried growing it in pots so I could bring it indoors for the winter, but the plants would never last more than a month indoors, and I finally decided to just stick one in the ground to see what would happen. After a very cold snowy winter it might not seem like a good idea, but those kinds of winters are not typical for our area so there’s a slight chance the lemongrass might survive. Fortunately it’s flourishing and adds wonderful flavor to our Thai dishes.

This grilled chicken has a flavorful marinade that’s easy to make, and we were able to use our homegrown lemongrass and garlic in it. The cilantro bolted in the heat, so we’ve reseeded and hope to have more in a couple weeks.

And speaking of growing herbs, don’t forget the Grow Your Own deadline is this Friday. Be sure to visit the Kitchen Gadget Girl blog for more information about submitting your post. If you are new to the event, you can read more about the rules for participating at the Grow Your Own page.

[Update: August 2010, featured on Saveur.com in their Best of the Web section!]

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THAI GRILLED CHICKEN WITH COCONUT MILK MARINADE

Adapted from Thai & Asian, by Deh-Ta Hsiung, Becky Johnson, and Sallie Morris.

Serves 6 to 8.

Equipment

food processor
gallon plastic bag or glass dish for marinating
grill

Ingredients

6 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

MARINADE
2 lemongrass stalks, roots trimmed
1.5 inch ginger, peeled and sliced
6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
4 shallots, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (20 g) cilantro roots, chopped (or stems and leaves)
1 tablespoon palm sugar
1/2 cup (120 ml) coconut milk
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons light soy sauce

GARNISH
lime wedges
fresh red chiles
cilantro sprigs

Preparation

1. Remove the lower 2 inches of the lemongrass and the leaves, and chop the stems coarsely. Add lemongrass, ginger, garlic, shallots, cilantro, sugar, coconut milk, fish sauce, and soy sauce to the food processor bowl. Process until smooth.

2. Trim the chicken breast and put them in the gallon plastic bag (or marinating dish). Pour the marinade over the chicken, making sure the marinade coats the chicken completely. Leave in the refrigerator for 4 to 12 hours.

3. Preheat the gas grill or barbecue to a temperature of 400° F/200° C. Drain the chicken and reserve the marinade. Rub the hot grill with vegetable oil to keep the chicken from sticking.

4. Grill until the chicken is done, about 5 to 6 minutes per side. Brush with the reserved marinade while cooking.

5. Transfer cooked chicken to a serving platter, garnish with lime, cilantro, and chiles, and serve.

Variations

If you can’t find lemongrass, use the zest of 1 lemon.

If you can’t find palm sugar, use light brown sugar.

Other Thai Recipes

More Thai Chicken Recipes From Around the Blogs

Rasa Malaysia – Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)

Chez Pim – Thai-Marinated Fried Chicken

Closet Cooking – Thai Chicken Mole

Ezra Pound Cake – Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

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The garlic only has a few more weeks in the ground, then it will be time to dig it up, and if the flavor of the scapes is any indication, we are in for some spicy garlic this year. We harvested the scapes over the weekend and made three different things with them: pesto, cannellini bean dip, this pasta with chicken, tomatoes, and basil. We saved the pretty flowers and curved parts for the pasta and use the stems for the pesto and bean dip.

The raw flavor of the scapes was pretty intense with a lot of bite, but once sautéed the flavor softened became more like a buttery roasted garlic. Because the raw flavor was so strong we thought the boys might not eat them in the pasta, but Builder Guy actually enjoyed them, though Top Gun and Monkey Boy regarded them with deep suspicion. For extra flavor we added some of our homegrown basil, which is doing very well this year. The tomatoes aren’t quite ready yet, but in a few weeks we should have plenty of warm summer tomatoes fresh from the vine.

We hope you will join us for Grow Your Own, a blogging event that celebrates the foods we grow, raise, hunt, or forage. If you are new to the event, you can read more about the rules for participating at the Grow Your Own page, and you can send post information to me at andreasrecipesgyo AT gmail DOT com. The deadline for this month’s event is June 30th.

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PASTA WITH CHICKEN, GARLIC SCAPES, TOMATOES, AND BASIL

Serves 4.

Equipment

6-quart pot with lid
12-inch skillet

Ingredients

8 ounces (227 g) farfalle pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, thinly sliced
sea salt, to taste
black pepper freshly ground, to taste
1 cup garlic scapes, cut into 6-inch lengths
1-1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
10 basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup (120 ml) white wine, dry
grated Parmesan cheese, to sprinkle on top

Preparation

1. Bring water to boil in the pot, then cook the pasta until ad dente, about 10 minutes. Drain.

2. While the water boils, heat the olive oil in the pan and add the chicken, cooking until it’s almost cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Add the scapes and cook until the start to brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato halves and sauté until they brighten and just begin to release their juices, about 1 minute. Add the white wine and the basil leaves, cooking until the basil begins to wilt.

4. Toss the cooked pasta with the chicken and scapes until it’s all thoroughly mixed. Divide among plates and served garnished with grated Parmesan cheese.

More Summer Grow Your Own Recipes

More Scapes Recipes From Around the Blogs

Grow Cook Eat – Hake with Tomato-Coconut Sauce

Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate – Garlic Scapes 12 Ways

Herbivoracious – Garlic Scape, Ricotta, and Zatar Pizza

Love and Olive Oil – Beet Green and Garlic Scape Bruschetta

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My carbon steel wok is 13 years old and a treasured part of my kitchen gear. I found it for $5 on a clearance table and snapped it up, and that little bargain has proven invaluable over time. It wasn’t my first wok as I had given the nonstick woks a try, but after going through two of them and throwing them away due to peeling, I decided to go with carbon steel, which seasons over time similar to a good cast iron pan. It’s on the smallish side, about 12 inches across, but the size has been perfect for our family, up until recently.

Asian food is one of our boys’ favorites and usually a solid bet for dinner time, and a few months ago we decided that we should probably have two woks so we can have multiple dishes served for meals. So we added another carbon steel 12-inch wok to our kitchen as well as a domed lid.

Like cast iron pans, carbon steel woks are easy to care for. Season your wok before first use, then after cooking just rinse and lightly brush out any food particles and hand dry or heat on the stove just until dry. I also lightly rub the inside of my woks with a little oil before putting away. With a little care a carbon steel wok should last a lifetime and you’ll have years of enjoying homemade Asian food, like this Spring stir-fry with asparagus and snow peas.

(Print this recipe)

CHICKEN STIR-FRY WITH ASPARAGUS AND SNOW PEAS

Serves 4 to 6.

Equipment

glass pie plate or 8×8 pan
wok and lid
steamer basket
splatter screen (optional but recommended)

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine (or gin or dry white wine)
16 ounces (454 g) asparagus spears, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2-inch ginger, sliced
2 cups snow peas, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 tablespoons light soy sauce (or gluten-free alternative)
1 cup (240 ml) chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth

Preparation

1. Place the sliced chicken in the glass pan and sprinkle on the cornstarch. Pour the rice wine over the top and stir until the cornstarch mixture coats the chicken. Set aside while preparing the vegetables.

2. Add an inch or so of cold water to the wok and place the steamer basket in the wok. Turn the burner on high and distribute the asparagus pieces around the steamer basket. Steam for 2 to 3 minutes, just enough to soften slightly, then turn off the heat and transfer the asparagus to a plate. Remove the steamer basket, dump the water, and wipe the inside of the wok dry.

3. Add the canola oil and the garlic and ginger slices to the wok and let them sit for 1 to 2 minutes, then turn the heat to medium high. Remove the garlic and ginger when they start to brown.

4. Add the chicken to the wok and cook while stirring until the chicken is just cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and cover.

5. Add the snow peas and steamed asparagus, cooking just for 1 to 2 minutes. Return the chicken to the wok, add the chicken stock and light soy sauce and bring to a boil, cooking for about 1 minute while the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and serve.

More Easy Stir-Fry Recipes

More Asian Asparagus Recipes From Around the Blogs

Tigers & Strawberries – Thai Spicy Chicken, Basil, and Asparagus

Chez Us – Thai Inspired Chicken

Sunday Nite Dinner – Garlic Beef with Asparagus and Shiitakes

Appetite for China – Shandong-Style Asparagus

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Towards the end of April into the early part of May, Mexican food takes center stage in our home for Cinco de Mayo. We think about all our favorite dishes and try out new things, but it’s always a little awkward with the way the seasons work because in my mind Mexican food goes hand-in-hand with summer. Some of the best produce for Mexican food–tomatoes, peppers, tomatillos—are all hot weather garden items, and we won’t harvest any until August.

So for the next several days I will cast my eyes longingly in the direction of all the out-of-season produce that’s running $3.99 a pound and up, reminding me once again why we grow our own and preserve what we can. Of course those hothouse vegetables just won’t taste the same since they’ve been picked before ripe. There’s nothing better than a sun-ripened tomato still warm and fresh from the garden, so we wait.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy some good Mexican food, in fact this dish is perfect for cool weather because spinach loves cool temperatures. This is one of our favorites from Rick Bayless, a smoky spicy dish with perfectly cooked chicken breast, still juicy and tender, not dried out, just remember to stick closely to the cooking time.

More Good Mexican Food

And of course…

Ideas for a Cinco de Mayo Party Or When You Just Want Some Mexican Food

More Mexican Recipes From Around the Blogs

101 Cookbooks – Mexican Wedding Cookies, Whole Grain Recipe

No Recipes – Tres Leches Cake

The Perfect Pantry – Mole Colorado

Homesick Texan – Mexican Chorizo

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Though the days are getting warmer and the summer daylilies have just started to bloom, I still feel the urge to pull out the slow cooker on cool spring mornings. When most of our days are swirling with activity, it gives me a sense of accomplishment to get a meal going in the slow cooker. I know that dinner will be ready later and I can focus on the boys and their needs or the endless to dos and errands and avoid the rush to get something ready for dinner at 5 p.m. when they are all standing around the kitchen telling me that they are starving.

Paprika chicken is a slow cooker favorite that is also easy on the budget, even giving us leftovers for another meal. Chicken thighs work very well and add lots of flavor to the sauce, and I sometimes include a chicken breast or two for Michael. We like this with brown rice or roasted potatoes and asparagus or green beans.

More Budget Meals with Chicken

More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes From Around the Blogs

Chaos in the Kitchen – Crock Pot Chicken Vindaloo

Gluten-Free Goddess – Chicken Tropicale

La Fuji Mama – Slow Cooker Chicken Gohan Stew

The Backyard Pizzeria – Slow Cooker Thai Red Curry Chicken

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We had one last bag of green tomatillos in the freezer, but I didn’t want to use them because it meant there would be no more tomatillos until late summer. After our final harvest, we froze about 12 pounds of tomatillos last fall then over the winter I experimented with soups using those frozen tomatillos, and this was our hands down favorite. Of course you can also make this with fresh tomatillos.

Tomatillos freeze best when whole, though their cell structure breaks down like other high-water content vegetables and they tend to lose liquid, so some of them were a little mushy but still edible. I drained off that liquid before roasting because the tomatillos tend to swim in it while in the oven, not really roasting. The base of the soup is simply roasted salsa verde, then I added the chicken stock, roasted chicken, and spices to make it a meal. Michael was a little skeptical at first, then after a few bites he became a hard core fan and we decided we must plant even more tomatillos this summer so we’ll have enough to make this soup during the winter months.

This is my contribution to Grow Your Own, a blogging event that celebrates the dishes we create from foods we’ve grown, raised, foraged, or hunted ourselves. Nate and Annie of House of Annie have graciously volunteered to help out with Grow Your Own while we tend to some family matters this winter, and they are our hosts for this round, so be sure to visit their blog for more information about submitting your post. If you are new to the event, you can read more about the rules for participating at the Grow Your Own page.

More Grow Your Own Recipes

More Tomatillo Recipes From Around the Blogs

Kalyn’s Kitchen – Cafe Rio-Style Creamy Tomatillo Salad Dressing

Kitchenography – Rick Bayless’ Purslane, Tomato, and Tomatillo Soup

A Veggie Venture – Green Beans with Tomatillo Salsa Dressing

Tigers & Strawberries – Preserving the Beauty of Tomatillos for Winter

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I had one last butternut squash in the kitchen waiting to be used and this soup had been calling my name for a while. The flavor is warm and inviting, perfect for a cold wintry day, and the soup is easy to put together and easy on the budget using widely available ingredients.  The recipe comes from one of my favorite everyday cookbooks, The Essential EatingWell Cookbook, which is full of healthy and mostly easy-to-prepare meals.

The original recipe calls for red bell pepper, but since peppers aren’t in season and are horribly expensive right now, I used mushrooms instead. If you have any peppers left from the summer garden in your freezer, those would work well, too.

More Healthy Soups

More Chicken Soup Recipes From Around the Blogs

Rasa Malaysia – Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)

Viet World Kitchen – Chicken Pho Noodle Soup (Pho Ga)

Kalyn’s Kitchen – Chicken Barley Soup

The Perfect Pantry – Avgolemono (Chicken Soup with Rice and Lemons)

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The October 2009 Daring Cooks’ challenge was brought to us by Jaden of the blog Steamy Kitchen. The recipes are from her new cookbook, The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook.

I was excited to see that Jaden would be our host for the October Daring Cooks challenge, especially since I finally got to meet her at BlogHer Food, but when I scrolled down and saw we would be making pho (pronounced “fuh?”) I almost got week in the knees. I’ve eaten pho at Vietnamese restaurants but have never made it at home, and none of my family had ever tasted it. I couldn’t wait to give them a taste of this soup that won my heart long ago.

Jaden gave us two options for making the pho: follow the recipe in her book (a shortcut version, see below), or follow the recipe on her blog (making stock from scratch). I chose to follow her scratch recipe because this is a Daring Cooks challenge, after all, though since I regularly make chicken stock and always have some in the freezer, I would probably choose the shortcut version for everyday meals.

Finding and selecting ingredients for Asian food can sometimes be a challenge, even in our large metropolitan area with representatives from just about every nationality on the planet. This time I stood in our large local international grocery store gazing at no less than 12 different brands of fish sauce but couldn’t find the star anise to save my life. Fortunately Jaden’s advice on how to buy fish sauce helped. Look for fish sauce that is colored like tea, not like Coca Cola, because the really dark stuff is inferior quality, and her favorite is Three Crabs Brand of fish sauce. While searching for Three Crabs Brand I also saw One Crab Brand, Two Crabs Brand, and Five Crabs Brand, and then there was Squid Brand and a whole bunch of others. I stood in the store aisle giggling as I looked at all the bottles and people probably thought this chick was nuts. I did finally find a bottle that said Three Crabs Brand in tiny print under a picture of three green crabs, so hopefully this is the right stuff. In any case it tastes better than other fish sauce I’ve tried, which sometimes just smell rancid, so I’m sticking with this one for now.

The spices for pho broth remind me of autumn, though I could eat this comforting soup any time of year.

We skipped the Sriracha and hoisin sauce accompaniments, just wanting to taste the unadulterated soup, though Michael did pile on one whole red jalapeno fresh from our garden. It turned out to be a spicy little devil that left him huffing and puffing while slurping and complaining about how he’s lost his chile eating mojo. Poor guy.

Jaden also gave us an optional sweet challenge, and I was very tempted to make her chocolate wontons, but for some reason sweets have not agreed with me lately and I decided I must reluctantly decline on those. They do look gorgeous and would make an easy and delicious cocktail party dessert.

Thanks to Jaden of Steamy Kitchen for hosting this month and for generously sharing the recipes from her new book. Her pho recipe won my family over and Michael said I can make this any time.

To see all of the pho and sweet wontons, visit The Daring Kitchen Blogroll and the Daring Bakers Gallery at Foodgawker.

STEAMY KITCHEN’S PHO GA

Adapted from The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook by Jaden Hair.

Makes 4 large servings.

Equipment

frying pan
6-quart pot with lid
tongs
strainer, sieve or colander
bowls for serving

Ingredients

BROTH
2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
4 whole cloves
2 whole star anise
2 quarts (2 liters/8 cups/64 fluid ounces) store-bought or homemade chicken stock
1 whole chicken breast (bone in or boneless)
1/2 onion
1 3-inch (7.5 cm) chunk of ginger, sliced and smashed with side of knife
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons fish sauce (Jaden recommends Three Crabs brand.)

ACCOMPANIMENTS
16 ounces (500 g) dried rice noodles (about 1/4 inch/6 mm wide)
2 cups (200 g/7 ounces) bean sprouts, washed and tails pinched off
fresh cilantro (coriander) tops (leaves and tender stems)
1/2 cup (50 g/2 ounces) shaved red onions
1/2 lime, cut into 4 wedges
Sriracha chili sauce
hoisin sauce
sliced fresh chili peppers of your choice

Preparation

1. BROTH: Heat a dry frying pan over medium heat. Add the coriander seeds, cloves and star anise and toast until fragrant, about 3 to 4 minutes. Immediately spoon out the spices to avoid burning.

2. In the 6-quart pot, add the homemade stock, chicken breast, onion, ginger, sugar, fish sauce, and toasted spices and bring to a boil.

3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 20 minutes, skimming the surface frequently.

4. Use tongs to remove the chicken breasts and shred the meat with your fingers, discarding the bone if you have used bone-in breasts.

5. Taste the broth and add more fish sauce or sugar, if needed. Strain the broth and discard the solids.

6. Prepare the noodles per directions on the package.

7. TO SERVE: Ladle the broth into bowls. Then divide the shredded chicken breast and the soft noodles evenly into each bowl.

8. Have the accompaniments spread out on the table. Each person can customize their own bowl with these ingredients.

Previous Daring Challenges

You can find all of my previous challenges in the Daring Challenges tag list.

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This dish is the main reason we grow Thai basil in our herb garden. We’ve grown many kinds of basil over the years and seem to have settled into a routine of Genovese, Lemon (Sweet Dani or similar), and Thai (Sweet Thai or Queen of Siam) basil because they cover the spectrum of our uses. The Sweet Thai variety we grew this year produces plants with purple stems and gorgeous purple flowers. Like most basils, the flowers are also edible and add a punch of anise flavor to Asian dishes. Our basils will last a few more weeks, then it will be time for the final harvest of the season and a marathon session making pesto (basic and sun-dried) and basil ice cubes.

The peppers, basil, and garlic all came from our garden. You might wonder why the peppers are dark in this photo but green in the finished dish. These dark peppers are called Purple Beauty, and as you can see they ripen a deep purple, almost black. The inside remains green and when cooked the skin looses its lush color and turns back to green. The substance that causes that deep purple color, anthocyanin, is a powerful antioxidant that is also water soluble, hence the change in color when cooked. None of our red peppers were ripe when we made this dish recently, so we used the Purple Beauty, but they definitely provide greater health benefits when eaten raw.

When making this dish for people who enjoy some heat, go for the full amount of hot peppers. This meal has to feed all the eaters in our home, including the little guys, so I hold off on the hot chiles, just adding a few slices with some seeds to the wok. Michael sets his mouth on fire by adding a whole sliced chile (or two) with the seeds to his bowl.

I’ve adjusted the method for making this dish by starting with a cold wok and adding the garlic and chiles to the cold oil. This allows the flavor to release as the oil heats and prevents the garlic and chiles from burning. Thanks to Jaden for sharing this technique!

This is my contribution to Grow Your Own, the blogging event that celebrates dishes we create from foods we’ve grown, raised, foraged, or hunted ourselves. Dido of Mowgli Chic is our host for this round, so be sure to visit her blog for more information about submitting your post. If you are new to the event, you can read more about the rules for participating at the Grow Your Own page.

Also, be sure to check out the most recent Grow Your Own roundup at Masala Heaven, which was hosted by Praveen.

THAI BASIL CHICKEN (KAI KRAPHAO)

Adapted from Simply Thai Cooking, by Wandee Young and Byron Ayanoglu.

Makes about 4 servings.

Equipment

wok

Ingredients

10 ounces chicken breast, boneless and skinless
1/2 medium bell pepper (green or red), cut into 1/2-inch squares
5 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
6 fresh hot chiles, roughly chopped (adjust to your heat tolerance)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons water
20 whole leaves fresh Thai basil
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water

SERVE WITH
steamed jasmine rice

Preparation

1. Slice the chicken breast into thin strips, 1/4-inch (5 mm) thick by 2 inches (5 cm) long and about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide. To achieve very thin slices, put the chicken breasts into the freezer for about 20 minutes to harden slightly, then slice. Set aside.

2. Pour oil into the cold wok and add the garlic and chiles. Cook over high heat until the aromas start to release. Add the sliced chicken and stir-fry for about 2 minutes.

3. Add the fish sauce, sugar, and soy sauce and stir-fry for another minute. Add the oyster sauce and 2 tablespoons of water and cook for 30 seconds.

4. Add the peppers and 16 of the basil leaves and stir-fry for 2 minutes, until the peppers start to soften.

5. Dissolve the cornstarch in 1 tablespoon of cold water, add to the wok, and stir-fry for 1 minute, until the sauce thickens.

6. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with the remaining basil leaves and serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice.

Other Recipes With Basil

More Thai Basil Recipes From Around the Blogs

Kalyn’s Kitchen – Spicy Cucumber Salad with Thai Basil and Sesame Seeds

What’s for Lunch Honey? – Parmesan Thai Basil Crusted Chicken

Rasa Malaysia – Steamed Mussels with Lemongrass, Thai Basil, Chilies, and Coconut Juice

Viet World Kitchen – Vegan Green Papaya Salad with Thai Basil

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I recently acquired a copy of Rosa’s New Mexican Table (review) and having heard of the restaurant and the book’s James Beard Award nomination in 2008 I was eager to try out some of the dishes from Chef Roberto Santibañez. One of the first dishes that caught my eye was the adobo marinated chicken with spicy guajillo chiles and chiles de arbol. An adobo sauce is bright red from the chiles and the meat is either simmered in the sauce or marinated and grilled. Common chiles for adobo include ancho, guajillo, and chipotle, though in this recipe chiles de arbol are added for extra heat. In the DC area you can find dried chiles at Hispanic grocery stores, some of the larger international grocery stores such as Grand Mart, Shoppers Food Warehouse, and some other grocery chains.

The chiles de arbol pack a punch, and since this dish was served to my boys, I went easy on the heat and removed the seeds before mixing the marinade. We thought the chicken had a lot of flavor, but Michael missed the heat so next time I’ll prepare two batches of the marinade, one with the seeds just for him.

The bright color of the marinade transfers to the chicken, lending a spectacular redness to the chicken. The meat has a lot of flavor and works well in tacos, fajitas, quesadillas, or on top of salads. This makes a great weeknight dish because you can get the chicken marinating the night before then grill it quickly for dinner the next day, and it has enough panache for a weekend party. Squirt a little lime over the grilled chicken and it’s ready to go.

GRILLED ADOBO CHICKEN (POLLO ADOBADO)

Adapted from Rosa’s New Mexican Table, by Roberto Santibañez. (review)

Makes enough marinade for 1 pound of chicken.

Equipment

cast-iron skillet
blender
meat mallet
plastic zipper bag (or shallow pan covered with plastic)
grill or grill pan

Ingredients

2 guajillo chiles, wiped clean, stemmed, seeded
2 chiles de arbol, wiped clean (leave seeds intact), or less to taste
3 large garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/4 (60 ml) cup water
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 pound (450 g) boneless skinless chicken breast
salt

ACCOMPANIMENTS
lime wedges
soft tortillas (for tacos or fajitas)
refried beans
guacamole
cilantro
shredded white queso
tomatillo salsa (salsa verde)
red salsa

Preparation

1. In the dry skillet, toast the chiles on each side. Lightly toast the guajillo chiles and toast well the chiles de arbol (with the seeds).

2. Put all the chiles, garlic, cumin seeds, cloves, oregano, water, and cider vinegar into the blender. Blend at low speed until smooth.

3. With the meat mallet, pound each chicken breast until about 3/4-inch (2 cm) thick. Rub the breasts with salt and put into the bag. Pour the adobo marinade over the chicken, seal, and turn the bag a few times to make sure the chicken is evenly coated. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour or refrigerate for up to 1 day.

4. Heat a gas grill to medium-high or prepare a hot charcoal fire.

5. Grill the chicken for about 10 minutes, until it is cooked through and charred in places. Remove to a platter, cover with foil, and allow to stand about 5 minutes before serving.

More Grilled Chicken Recipes

More Mexican Chicken Recipes From Around the Blogs

What’s Cooking? – Chicken Legs in Achiote Sauce

Simply Recipes – Chicken Pozole

Gastronomy – Mexican Chicken Pozole Verde

We Heart Food – Chicken Machaca and Mexican Red Rice

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