Mexican Red Chicken Recipes

RED CHICKEN TAMALES (TAMALES ROJOS DE POLLO)

Steps:

• Place corn husks in a bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak for a few hours. Drain, place on a work surface, and cover with a clean, damp towel.
• Place chicken in a pot, season with salt, and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain chicken and shred with 2 forks.
• Heat a griddle over medium heat and toast ancho and mulato chiles until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Place in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak until soft, about 25 minutes. Combine ancho and mulato chiles, garlic, cumin seeds, and about 1/2 cup of the soaking water in a blender; blend until a thick, smooth, mole-like sauce forms, adding more water if necessary.
• Heat 1 tablespoon lard in a saucepan over medium heat and add the sauce; cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Add shredded chicken and cook until flavors are combined and chicken is heated through, about 5 minutes.
• Place remaining lard in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Add masa harina, chicken broth, baking powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, and beat until all ingredients are well combined. Test if the masa is ready by dropping a small ball of masa into a glass of cold water; if it floats, it's ready, if not, keep working the dough a little longer.
• Select 1 wide corn husk. Spread about 2 tablespoons masa mixture onto the the corn husk, filling it up to 2 inches from the bottom and 1/4 inch from the top. Add 1 tablespoon of the chicken filling in the center of the masa mixture. Fold sides of husk together, one over the other. Fold the bottom of the husk over the seam of the 2 folded sides. Repeat with remaining husks.
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add tamales with the open side up and cook until filling is heated through and separates from the husk, about 1 hour. Let tamales rest for 15 minutes before serving.

CHICKEN SIMMERED IN RED CHILE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350º.
• Heat olive oil in frying pan and brown chicken breasts on both sides.
• Remove from pan and place in oven proof baking dish.
• Open dried chiles, remove and discard seeds and stem.
• (Seeds are removed to prevent burning) Cut chiles into pieces.
• Melt butter in frying pan.
• Lightly sauté chiles in butter.
• Add chopped onions and garlic.
• Tear tortillas into pieces and add to pan.
• (The tortillas help to thicken sauce.) Sauté until ingredients are lightly browned.
• Add chicken stock and salt and simmer until ingredients are soft.
• Remove from heat and cool sauce to room temperature.
• Transfer cooled sauce to blender and blend until smooth.
• Pour sauce over chicken breasts.
• Bake at 350º for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is done.
• Remove from oven, top with shredded jack cheese and garnish with sprigs of cilantro.
• Bake a few additional minutes to melt cheese if necessary.

MEXICAN CHICKEN RED MOLE (MOLE COLORADO DE POLLO)

Steps:

• Place chilies in large saucepan; add water to cover.
• Bring to a boil, remove from heat and let stand 1 hour.
• Cover chilies with a plate to submerge them.
• Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Heat a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat; add olive oil to coat bottom of pan.
• Add chicken, and lightly brown on all sides; then add 4 cups water and 1/4 onion.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.
• Grind sesame seeds, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, oregano, and thyme until pulverized.
• Set aside.
• Drain soaked ancho chilies and remove stems and seeds.
• Puree chilies in blender, adding a little water if needed.
• Pass through a sieve to strain out the peels.
• Without washing blender, puree onion and tomato.
• Remove chicken and strain broth into a bowl or pot.
• Add pureed chilies and tomato-onion mixture to pan; cook over medium heat for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add ground spice mixture, 1 1/2 cups of reserved broth, chocolate.
• sugar, and salt to taste.
• Add the meat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Add more broth as desired for consistency.
• Serve with soft tortillas and steamed rice, if you desire.