Yucatan Chicken Lime Recipes

YUCATáN LIME AND CHICKEN SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500°. Arrange the tomatoes on a small rimmed baking sheet. Set the unpeeled onion in a pie plate with 6 of the garlic cloves. Roast the vegetables on the top rack of the oven until blackened on top and tender, about 10 minutes for the garlic, 20 for the tomatoes and 30 for the onion. Let cool slightly, then cut the onion in half. Press the tomatoes through a coarse strainer.
• In a large saucepan, cover the chicken breasts with the stock. Add the lime zest and lime halves, allspice, oregano, the remaining 15 garlic cloves and a pinch each of salt and pepper and bring to a boil over moderately high heat. Add the roasted onion, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken to a platter and let cool. Gently simmer the broth for 10 minutes, then strain. Wipe out the saucepan. Remove the chicken from the bones and tear it into thick shreds.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in the saucepan. Add the scallions and roasted garlic; mash the cloves to a paste with a fork. Cook over moderately high heat until the scallions are browned, 4 minutes. Add the strained tomatoes and simmer until the fat separates from the sauce, about 5 minutes. Add the strained broth and bring to a boil; reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 cup of oil until shimmering. Add one-fourth of the tortilla strips and fry over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and season with salt. Repeat with the remaining tortilla strips, lowering the heat if the oil gets too hot.
• Add the chicken to the broth and cook until heated through. Ladle the soup into bowls, top with the tortilla strips and sprinkle with oregano. Serve, passing lime wedges, minced onion and banana chiles at the table.

YUCATAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Blend marinade ingredients in a food processor until the mixture is thick. Pour into a sealable plastic bag, add the chicken and marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Barbeque with marinade on chicken, being careful not to burn the chicken as it cooks. Watch closely. The finished chicken will have nice orange red color.

YUCATAN CHICKEN AND LIME BROTH

Steps:

• In large saucepan place chicken breast with stock and bring to a boil. Skim and discard foam. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, cracked peppercorns, oregano and garlic. Reduce to a simmer and cook 30 to 35 minutes, until the meat is tender. Lift out chicken and transfer to a platter. Cover with a damp towel and reserve. Add chicken livers to saucepan and simmer 6 - 8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the platter with the chicken. Strain the stock through a very fine strainer, discarding the solids, and skim off any fat from the top. Reserve. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and pull the meat from the bones. Shred chicken into strips, thinly slice the livers and reserve. In large stockpot heat the chicken fat or olive oil over a medium low heat. Add onions and cook with remaining 1 teaspoon salt and ground black pepper, until onions turn translucent, about 10 minutes. Add green peppers and cook for about another 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, chicken and livers, reserved stock, lime juice and grapefruit zest, or bitter lime juice. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook until flavors meld, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove grapefruit zest with a slotted spoon. Serve hot with garnishes scattered over the soup.

YUCATAN-STYLE CHICKEN, LIME, AND ORZO SOUP

Steps:

• Cook orzo in pot of boiling salted water until just tender. Drain well.
• Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and chiles. Sauté until onion begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Add chicken; sauté 1 minute. Add broth, lime juice, and tomato. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Mix in orzo, then chopped cilantro. Season soup with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into 4 bowls. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.

YUCATáN CHICKEN WITH ACHIOTE

Steps:

• Cut the chicken into 1/2-inch-wide strips. In a large bowl, mix together the orange juice, oregano, garlic, chile, achiote paste, salt, pepper, allspice, and olive oil to make the marinade. Add the chicken strips to the mixture and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
• To cook the chicken, remove the strips from the marinade and drain off any excess liquid. In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the chicken strips, turning once or twice, until thoroughly cooked (cut one to test), about 9 minutes total.
• Remove from the heat, squeeze fresh lime juice over the strips, and serve immediately or keep warm in the pan until ready to serve.
• To serve, lay the tortillas side by side, open face and overlapping on a platter. Divide the filling equally between the tortillas and top with salsa and pickled onions. Grab, fold, and eat right away. Or build your own taco: lay a tortilla, open face, in one hand. Spoon on some filling, top with salsa and pickled onions, fold, and eat right away.