Mexican Feast, Part 4: Red Chile-Braised Chicken with Potatoes and Greens

(adapted from Rick Bayless' Mexican Kitchen)

Finally, the final course! This was really quite different from anything I've made before, so I was a little unsure of how it was going to turn out. Plus, at this point, I'd been cooking for over five hours, so it was getting a little sloppy. Let's just say the walls got their fair share of ancho seasoning.

It turned out pretty dang tasty, and made for good leftovers, too. Kind of sweet and smoky, less spicy than the shrimp. Make sure you have a good-sized pot - my dutch oven did the job, but it was a little tight. Add more water if you feel yours is getting dry - I added a cup, which is included below. This serves four; once again, it involves making a seasoning paste that you then use in the recipe.

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 smallish chicken (3lbs), quartered (I had no idea how to do this - found the linked video useful. I didn't use the carcass.)
1 medium white onion, sliced into strips
1 cup Essential Sweet-and-Spicy Ancho Seasoning Paste:
8 garlic cloves, unpeeled
4 oz dried ancho chiles, stemmed
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground cumin
Scant 1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 2/3 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 tbsp cider vinegar
8 small boiling potatoes (try the red-skin ones), quartered
4 cups sliced collard greens
Salt, about 1 1/4 tsp
1 cup water or more if needed

Start by heating the oil in a 4-6 quart pot over medium-high. Brown the chicken in a single layer (in batches if needed), browning on all sides. Remove the chicken to a plate, add the onion and fry until soft and browned, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

To make the seasoning paste, roast the unpeeled garlic on a skillet over medium, turning from time to time until it starts to blacken in spots. Cool and peel. While the garlic is roasting, toast the chiles as well, pressing into the skillet and flipping. In a small bowl, cover the chiles with hot water and let them rehydrate for about 15-30 minutes. Stir from time to time, then drain.

Combine the oregano, black pepper, cumin, and cloves in a blender along with the chiles, garlic, and 2/3 cup of the broth. Blend to a smooth puree. Press through a mesh strainer into a bowl.

Bring your original pot to medium-high and when it's hot, add the ancho chile seasoning. Cook, stirring until it gets thicker and darker, about 5 minutes. Then stir in the remaining 2 cups broth and the vinegar. Simmer for about 15 minutes.

Add the chicken legs and thighs and the potatoes to the sauce. Partially cover and simmer over medium-low for about 15 minutes, then stir in the greens and add the chicken breasts. Add your cup of water if it's dry. Partially cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked, about 20 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken onto a serving plate, then bring the sauce and veggies to a boil over medium and reduce, if necessary, for about 5 minutes. Season with salt.

Pour the sauce and veggies over and around the chicken, then do the same with the onion. Serve with rice (probably sacrilege, but hey, we liked it).

Mexican Feast, Part 3: Classic Red Tomato Rice

(adapted from Rick Bayless' Mexican Kitchen)

If you're going to make the Roasted Tomato-Jalapeno Salsa from earlier in this series, you might as well make this rice along with it (or vice versa). Just double the salsa recipe from 2 cups to 4 cups, and use 2 of those cups for this rice. We ate this rice with the main chicken dish (Part 4!).

The original recipe calls for baking the rice, which I'm sure would be great. Unfortunately, I didn't have an ovenproof, lidded saucepan - so I just cooked it on the stovetop, much like I would regular rice. And it turned out just fine. Here's how it goes:

2 cups Roasted Tomato-Jalapeno Salsa
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups medium grain rice
1 1/2 cups chicken broth or water
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro, chopped

Make your salsa. In a saucepan/pot, heat the olive oil over medium, then add the rice and cook for about five minutes while stirring. Add the salsa right to the rice, then add the broth and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then turn to low and cover until the liquid evaporates and the rice is cooked, about 25 minutes. Sprinkle in the cilantro, fluff, and serve.

Red Clam Sauce: 100th Recipe!

By an admittedly rough estimate, La Piccina Cucina has hit 100 recipes since the first post in March 2010! That ain't half bad, if you ask me! What graces the 100th recipe spot? Another Popolizio family favorite - red clam sauce. As with most Popolizio recipes, wonderfully simple ingredients and process yield a delicious result.

I'm kind of surprised with myself that I haven't posted this one yet. The recipe is basically the same as white clam sauce, with tomatoes added. Now that I think of it, it does omit the butter and the white wine (which are technically optional, anyway), although I suppose you could keep those in for fun.

And here it is, your (drumroll) 100th recipe!
3/4 lb linguine or spaghetti rigati
3-5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
Olive oil
2 medium tomatoes, chopped and lightly salted
1 can minced clams (keep the juice)
1 can chopped clams (keep the juice)
Salt to taste
Pinch of parsley, for garnish

Start the water boiling for your pasta and cook. In the meantime, pour a couple tablespoons of olive oil into a pan and add your garlic; heat over medium-high for a couple of minutes (don't let the garlic burn). Add your tomatoes and let those cook down for a few minutes, then add your clam juice from the two cans. Bring it to a boil if it's not already there, then reduce heat to low and simmer. It should be ready pretty soon after the pasta is done - make sure the tomatoes have started to break down. A few minutes before you're ready to serve, stir in the clams and continue to cook for a few minutes over low heat. Pour your drained pasta right into the pan while still on low, toss, garnish with parsley, then serve.