The Ultimate Chicken Cozumel Recipes

THE ULTIMATE ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Rinse the chicken with cool water, inside and out. Pat it dry with paper towels. Divide the herbs, keeping 1/2 of them whole. Finely chop the other half. In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the chopped herbs, until combined. Rub the herbed butter under the skin, as well as all over the outside of the chicken. Season the bird all over with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the orange, garlic, 1 onion, and the remaining herbs. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine to help hold its shape. Place the chicken, breast-side up, in a roasting pan. Put the remaining onion into the pan, which will help color and flavor the sauce. Lay the strips of bacon across the breast of the chicken and roast for 25 minutes.
• Remove the bacon and baste the chicken with the drippings and cook for another 25 minutes to brown the skin. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (the legs of the chicken should wiggle easily from the sockets too.) Remove the chicken to a platter and let stand for 10 minutes, so the juices settle back into the meat before carving.
• Meanwhile, remove the softened onion from the roasting pan. Tilt the pan so the drippings collect in 1 corner, skimming off as much fat as possible, and leaving the drippings. Place the roasting pan on top of the stove over medium heat and take a wooden spoon to scrape up the flavor from the bottom of the pan. Stir the flour into the drippings to make a roux-like paste. Pour in the chicken broth in stages; continue to stir to dissolve the flour evenly to prevent lumps. Stir in the sherry and season with salt and pepper.
• To serve, carve the chicken tableside and squeeze the oranges from the cavity over the meat.
• Difficulty: Easy
• Serving suggestion: roast potatoes, watercress and gravy.

COZUMEL SHELLS

Steps:

• Sprinkle sazon seasoning over pork cubes and toss to coat evenly. Transfer to a large zip-top plastic bag. Mix orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice, cumin, paprika, chili powder, coriander, salt, and pepper together in a mixing bowl. Pour into plastic bag with pork; gently squeeze to evenly distribute marinade. Seal bag and place on a plate. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
• Remove pork from marinade; reserve marinade. Heat oil in large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook and stir pork until brown on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes. Add reserved marinade and enough chicken stock to barely cover the pork. Bring to a boil over high heat; cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to simmer until meat is falling-apart tender, about 45 minutes.
• Transfer pork with a slotted spoon to a bowl; reserve 1/3 cup of cooking liquid. Cool pork slightly; shred pork with two forks. Mix in reserved cooking liquid, cilantro, and 7 ounces of crumbled queso fresco cheese.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta shells in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, about 13 minutes. Drain.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cover the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish with 2 cups of pasta sauce. Stuff shells with a spoonful of pork mixture and arrange in baking dish. Pour remaining pasta sauce evenly over stuffed shells and sprinkle with remaining crumbled queso fresco.
• Cover with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

THE ULTIMATE CHICKEN COZUMEL

Steps:

• Cut chicken breasts into 1 inch pieces and spread over bottom of crock pot.
• Mix remaining ingredients in a large bowl and pour over chicken.
• Cook on "high" in crockpot for 1 hour.
• Turn crockpot to low and cook 6-8 hours.
• Serve over rice, pasta or in soft tortillas.
• Freezes well.

TYLER FLORENCE'S ULTIMATE ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Rinse the chicken with cool water, inside and out. Pat it dry with paper towels. Divide the herbs, keeping 1/2 of them whole. Finely chop the other half.
• In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the chopped herbs, until combined. Rub the herbed butter under the skin, as well as all over the outside of the chicken.
• Season the bird all over with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the orange, garlic, 1 onion, and the remaining herbs. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine to help hold its shape.
• Place the chicken, breast-side up, in a roasting pan. Put the remaining onion into the pan, which will help color and flavor the sauce. Lay the strips of bacon across the breast of the chicken and roast for 25 minutes.
• Remove the bacon and baste the chicken with the drippings and cook for another 25 minutes to brown the skin. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (the legs of the chicken should wiggle easily from the sockets too.) Remove the chicken to a platter and let stand for 10 minutes, so the juices settle back into the meat before carving.
• Meanwhile, remove the softened onion from the roasting pan. Tilt the pan so the drippings collect in 1 corner, skimming off as much fat as possible, and leaving the drippings.
• Place the roasting pan on top of the stove over medium heat and take a wooden spoon to scrape up the flavor from the bottom of the pan. Stir the flour into the drippings to make a roux-like paste. Pour in the chicken broth in stages; continue to stir to dissolve the flour evenly to prevent lumps. Stir in the sherry and season with salt and pepper.
• To serve, carve the chicken tableside and squeeze the oranges from the cavity over the meat.