Chicken
Dia de los Muertos Mole de Olla con Pollo y Chorizo
Dia de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, is a uniquely Mexican holiday that celebrates the lives of the dead on the 1st and 2nd of November 
every year. The origins are attributed to Aztec animist beliefs combined with Catholicism, the dates coinciding with the Catholic All Saints Day and All Souls Day. Contrary to what you may think, Dia de Los Muertos is a joyous familial occasion that is celebrated with food, drink, music, and entertainment in homes and in grave yards throughout Mexico, Latin America, and in parts of North America where there are Latin American communities.
The imagery of vividly decorated skulls (calaveras) and dancing skeletons (calacas) associated with Dia de los Muertos was popularized by Mexico’s most famous graphic artist Jose Guadalupe Posada in the mid 1800’s. His work influenced a whole new generation of famous Mexican muralists and painters that followed him including Diago Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco, and Frida Kahlo.
Popular Dia de Los Muertos foods include typical Mexican favorites that are prepared ahead of the celebrations and served throughout the day and night, and often into the wee hours of the morning. Frijoles de olla and moles de Olla, are popular clay pot meals that include various meats, vegetables, chiles, and of course beans. Typically cooked over a fire or slowly braised in the oven as I have done for the recipe that follows. The mole is then tucked into warm tortillas, topped with picante salsas, and served with a chunky guacamole. Essentially you have a hearty meal in hand and the mole de olla will hold up until the last of the revelers eventually wend their way home as the sun rises!
For some more Dia de Los Muertos recipes, click on the following links.Â
Sopa de Maize y chile Verde con Pollo (click here)Â
Mexican Roasted Pumpkin Soup; sopa de Calabezza (click here)
Dia de Los Muertos  Mole de Olla con Pollo y Chorizo     Serves 6 to 8
- 2 pounds skinless chicken breasts, sliced into plump strips
- 2 pounds Mexican chorizo, dividedÂ
- 3 tablespoons olive oil + more as needed
- 3 large onions, peeled, quartered and thinly sliced
- 2 large green bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips
- 2 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
- 4 to 6 green or ripe red jalapeno chiles, seeded and cut into strips
- 8 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 ribs celery, dicedÂ
- 1½ teaspoon toasted cumin seeds
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves
- 1 cup tequila
- 6 cups cooked black beans (or canned)
- 1 quart hot chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons pure ground red chile powder
- pinch of ground clove
- salt to taste
- chopped cilantro leaves
- flour tortillas, warmed
- fresh crumbled cotija cheese (or mild feta)
- fresh cilantro leaves
- chunky guacamole
Choose a large wide pan with a lid that will fit on the oven wrack set in the middle positioned of the oven.
Preheat the oven to 325 f/ 160 c
Place the pan on the stove top over medium high flame. When the pan is hot add some oil. When the oil is nearly smoking add the chicken pieces and seer until the chicken is nicely browned and releases from the pan easily. Turn the chicken and seer until nicely browned. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a large platter.
Add the chorizo to the pan and seer until the skin is deeply browned and releases easily from the pan. Turn the chorizo and seer until deeply browned. Remove the chorizo from the pan and place it in the platter with the chicken.
Add a little more oil to the pan if needed. When nearly smoking add the onions and saute while deglazing the pan as the onions begin to soften. Promptly add the green and red bell pepper and saute until the onions and peppers have wilted. Add the garlic and celery and cook another two or three minutes. Then add the jalapenos and saute while tossing until the contents are evenly combined.
Pour in the tequila and stir continuously until the tequila is nearly absorbed into the vegetable mixture. Add the cumin seeds, oregano, and marjoram and toss until evenly distributed into the mixture.
At this point return the browned chicken and chorizo to the pan and add the beans. Stir to combine and then add the stock to just cover and stir. Cover the pan with the lid and place it in the center of the oven. Braise for 1 hour undisturbed.
Open the oven and transfer the pan to the stove top. Remove the lid and stir in the red chile powder, ground clove, and chopped cilanto . Stir to combine and then season with salt to taste. If the mole is looking dry add more stock as needed.
Cover the [pan and return it to the oven to keep warm while warm the flour tortillas, assemble assorted salsas, and make the chunky guacamole.
Serving:
Stack the warmed tortillas in a basket lined with a kitchen towel to keep them warm.
Place your salsas of choice on the table along with the guacamole.
Remove the pan from the oven.
Place a warm tortilla on a plate and spoon a generous portion of the mole de olla just off center. Scatter some crumbled cotija cheese, or feta, over the meats and vegetables and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves. Serve open faced so salsa can be added before folding the tortilla for eating.
The beauty of the chunky guacamole is it is easily forked and eaten along with bites of the filled tortilla.
Chunky guacamole
- 4 Haas (bumpy skinned) ripe avocados
- 1 onion, peeled and finely diced
- 2 to 4 serrano chiles, stem and seeds removed, and minced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt + more to taste
- 1/3 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves
- fresh lime juice to taste
- olive oil for drizzling
Slice the avocados in half lengthwise and remove the pits. Crosshatch each half of the avocado and then slice the hatches in half lengthwise. Gently remove the chunks of avocado and place them in a chilled bowl.
Place the diced onions, minced serrano chiles, and sea salt in a mortar. Crush and grind the ingredients with the pestle into a moist paste.
Scrape the paste over the avocado chunks and add the chopped cilantro leaves. Spritz fresh lime juice over all and then drizzle with just a little olive oil. Toss gently until the paste is evenly spread over the avocado chunks. Taste and add more salt and lime juice to taste.
Chill the chunky guacamole until just before serving.
Mexican Sopa dde Elote
Sopa de Elote is a Mexican corn soup that has many faces ranging from a modest broth based soup to a thick rich creamy soup gilded with molten cheeses and assorted garnishes. keeping in mind it is the corn that is the star ingredient here, shop for the freshest locally grown organic sweet corn you can find and let that be your guide. The remaining ingredients needed are more or less rudimentary and easily found in most local markets.
While you are cooking this soup a heady combination of flavors and aromas will reaffirm the enduring appeal of truly traditional Mexican cookery.
Mexican Sopa de Elote     makes 3 quarts
Mexican Sopa de Elote
Ideally, cooking the chicken and making a stock the day before you plan to make the soup lightens the time spent in the kitchen the following day.
Before you even begin to cook, remove the husks and corn silk from 4 ears of fresh sweetcorn corn and discard them. Then cut the kernels off the cob into a deep bowl. Scrape each cob with the back of a knife to extract the sweet milk from the cobs. Reserve the cobs that you will be using later, and cover the bowl with the kernels and scrapings and refrigerate as they will be added to the soup the following day.
Ingredients for chicken and stock
- 1 whole chicken
- water to generously cover the chicken
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 large onion, peeled and diced
- 2 garlic cloves, skin removed
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into three pieces each
- 3 bay leaves
- 4 cilantro ( coriander) roots, crushed
- 4 reserved corn cobs
Rinse the chicken and place it in a large stock pot. Add enough water to generously cover the chicken. Place the pot on the stove top over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce the heat to a low simmer.
Add the salt, vinegar, peppercorns, diced onions, carrots, bay leaves, cilantro roots, and the reserved scraped corn cobs. Give the pot a good stir and cook the chicken at a simmer for 35 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken. Skim off any foam and fat that forms on the surface and discard.
Remove the chicken from the pot and set the chicken and the stock aside to cool.
Fish out the carrot pieces in the stock pot, place them in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate.
Once the chicken has cooled enough to handle, pull the meat off the bones in generous chunks and place them in a bowl. Leaving the chicken in larger pieces will give the soup a more substantial profile and tenderer meat when reheated. Cover the pulled chicken with cling film and refrigerate.
Put all the chicken bones back into the pot of stock and return the pot to the heat. Bring the contents to a low boil and cook until the stock is reduced by a third. Once again, skim off any foam and fat that forms on the surface and discard.
Remove the pot from the heat and set aside to cool for 20 minutes or so. Then strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer into a large container and set aside to cool to room temperature. Discard the bones and solids after straining the stock.
Once the stock is cooled, cover the container and refrigerate overnight.
The following morning skim off the fat that has solidified on the surface of the stock and save for another use or discard it.
Ingredients for the soup
- 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 1 celery rib, finely diced
- 4 garlic, cloves, minced
- 2 large gold potatoes, peeled and diced
- 3 quarts prepared chicken stock
- 5 jalapeno chiles, seeded, quartered, and flash fried
- 2 cups home cooked pinto beans (or canned), drained
- reserved cooked diced carrots
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram or oregano leaves
- sea salt to taste
fresh lime wedges - 1 pint crema (sour cream thinned slightly with whole milk)
- sprigs fresh coriander leaves
- corn tortilla chips (pictured, blue corn chips)
- ground red chile as a final seasoning (optional)
Place 3 tablespoons olive oil in a stock pot set over medium heat.When the oil is nearly smoking until the oil dd the onions and celery and lower the heat to medium low and saute, stirring now and again, until the onions and celery are very soft and translucent, about, 10 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook another 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small fry pan. When smoking hot add the quartered jalapeno chiles, skin side down in the pan and flash fry until the skin is blistered. Flip the chiles and fry another minute or so. Remove the chiles from the pan and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle pull off the blistered skin and discard. Then dice the chiles and set aside.
Add 3 quarts of reheated stock to the sauteed onion, celery, garlic mixture. Once the stock begins to boil, add the diced potatoes and simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat. Using an immersion blender (or blender) puree the contents of the pot until smooth and creamy.
Return the pot to the heat and add he beans, reserved diced carrots, marjoram or oregano, diced flash fried jalapenos, and the reserved fresh corn kernels. Cook for another 15 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently so soup does not scorch on the bottom of the pot. Taste and add salt as needed.
When you are nearly ready to serve, add the pulled chicken to the soup. Allow the soup to come to a very low simmer and cook for about 10 minutes before serving.
Serving
Ladle the soup into individual bowls, mounding the chicken in the center. Garnished with fresh cilantro sprigs and serve.
Place a bowl of crema on the table along with a bowl of corn tortilla chips which can be added to the soup. Include a plate of fresh lime wedges, and a small container of ground red chile for those who want to crank up the heat bit.Â
Guacamole is always a nice accompaniment along with the corn tortilla chips as well.Â
This soup freezes beautifully and always nice to have on hand for a last minute meal on demand.
Buen provecho!
Pan Asian Fragrant Roasted Chicken
A couple of busy days recently left me with very little time for cooking, but a good hearty meal was none the less still very much on my mind. I wanted to put together an easy flavorsome one pot meal that would come to the table with minimum effort but not lacking in attitude. With chicken in the freezer, a pantry stocked with every Asian ingredient imaginable, and many years worth of the tastes of Asia embedded in my memory, I surrendered to the idea of letting the melding of flavors from across the region rule. In this case a base of Thai flavors along with notes from Indonesia, the fragrance of Szechuan pepper, and a splash of a smoky aged tamari soy sauce from Japan to flavor the accompanying rice, brought all the flavors together seamlessly as if it was meant to be. Serendipitous cookery has a kind of kitchen magic that is the very essence of the joys of being a cook!
Pan-Asian Fragrant Roasted Chicken  serves 4
- 1 whole chicken, divided; or 2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 breasts halved
- 2 inch knob of fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
- 1 large red shallot, peeled and finely diced
- 4 green onions, minced
- 4 coriander roots, smashed and finely chopped
- juice from 1 large lime
- 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
- 1 or 2 teaspoons minced hot red chiles
- 1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon Szechuan pepper oil (or chile oil)
- ¼ cup shao Hsing Chinese cooking wine (or rice wine)
- ½ cup water + more as needed
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt + more to taste
- 1 large head cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 large onion, peeled and diced
- fresh coriander leaves as garnish
Prepare the chicken pieces and place in a non-reactive bowl, cover, and refrigerate.
Prepare the marinade at least four hours before you plan to roast the chicken.
In a stone mortar, or large non-reactive bowl, combine the ginger, garlic, shallots, green onions, coriander roots, lime juice, turmeric, and minced red chiles. Pound the ingredients with a pestle, or the back of a wooden spoon, until the combined ingredients resemble a coarse paste.
Then add the sweet soy sauce, light soy sauce, vegetable oil, Szechuan pepper oil (or chile oil) and continue to work the ingredients together until incorporated. Stir in the Chinese cooking wine, ½ cup water, sea salt and stir until well combined. Taste the marinade and add more salt if needed.
Spoon the marinade mixture over the chicken pieces and massage to be sure all the chicken is well coated with the marinade, Press the chicken into the marinade so that it is completely immersed. Add a little water if needed. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for four hours.
Preheat the oven to 375 f/ 190 c
Remove the marinated chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before you plan to roast the chicken.
Select a large Dutch oven or deep baking dish.
Combine the sliced cabbage and onions in the Dutch oven, or roasting pan, and toss until well combine.
Place the pieces of marinated chicken over the cabbage and pour the marinade over all. Spread the marinade evenly over the surface. Cover with the lid, or foil, and transfer to the oven and roast for 45 minutes.
Turn up the heat to 400 f/ 200 c
Pan Asian Fragrant Roasted Chicken
Open the oven, remove the lid, or foil, from the Dutch oven and rotate the pan 180 degrees. Roast for another 15 minutes or until the chicken is nicely browned.
Remove from the oven and set aside to rest for 5 minutes
Serving:
Spoon the cabbage onto individual serving plates and top with chicken. Spoon pan juices over all and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
Suggested (as pictured), serve the chicken with Thai jasmine brown rice (or brown rice) topped with dark Thai riceberry rice (or wild rice). Place the tamari soy sauce on the table. Just a splash of tamari over the rice adds a complimentary deep smoky flavor to the rice which compliments the chicken perfectly!
A Summer Cassoulet
A traditional cassoulet is not a dish that springs to mind as summer arrives, but it is one of my favorite go to meals, especially when entertaining. With a few considered adjustments a classic winter cassoulet can be transformed into a scrumptious lighter cassoulet to add to your summer meals repertoire.
Cassoulet is a well known and much loved regional classic stew made with white beans and assorted meats from the Languedoc region of France. Traditional versions vary but typically include duck or goose confit, pork or lamb, and some well seasoned local sausage. All placed in a deep earthenware crock along with cooked white beans seasoned with aromatic herbs and slow baked to golden perfection. Very much a rich hearty meal for the winter months that is anchored and bound together by flavors derived from copious amounts of duck fat used to preserve the confit. Without a doubt, absolutely delicious!
However, by using lean meats and sausages, and chicken rather than duck or goose, dramatically reduces the fat content without sacrificing flavor. The resulting “summer cassoulet†is every bit as flavorful as a classic cassoulet by simply applying a lighter healthier approach to your summer cookery.
Another reason a cassoulet is a favorite is that all the elements required for the finished dish are made in advance which is ideal for entertaining or for easy assembly for consecutive meals.
There are essentially three elements to prepare for a cassoulet. Cooking the beans, creating a flavorsome cassoulet broth for braising, and a final browning of the meats and finally baking of the cassoulet.
A Summer Cassoulet
A Summer Cassoulet:Â Â serves 4 to 6
For the beans:Â Prepare a day in advance
- 12 oz / 350 g dried white beans
- 2 ¾ oz 75 g pancetta, diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, peeled and finely diced
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 quarts water + more as needed
- small bunch fresh thyme sprigs tied together
- salt freshly ground white pepper
Rinse the beans, place in a bowl, cover with plenty of water, and soak for 8 hours or overnight,
Place a stock pot on the stove over medium heat. Add the diced pancetta to the pot and saute, continuously stirring, until the fat is rendered and the meat is lightly browned.
Add the olive oil to the pan and when hot add the onions. Lower the heat slightly and stir until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute while stirring.
Add the bay leaves, the water, and the drained and rinsed pre-soaked beans. Bring the water to a boil and lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Add the thyme leaves. Cook the beans until they are soft but still holding their shape. Be sure to stir the beans now and again so they do not stick to the bottom of the pan. Add more water as needed until the beans are finished cooking.
When the beans are finished remove them using a slotted spoon and place them in a large storage container.
Continue to simmer the cooking liquid until it is reduced and thickened slightly. At this point season the cooking broth with salt and pepper to taste. Keep in mind that the broth will be used later and reduced, so do not overly salt the broth.
Remove the bay leaves and thyme and discard, Transfer the broth to the container holding the beans and set aside on a cooling rack. When completely cool, cover the container and refrigerate.
For the cassoulet broth:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 ½ cups diced onions
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled whole
- ½ cup diced peeled carrots
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 quarts chicken stock, hot
- herb bouquet; sprigs parsley, sprigs thyme, sprig rosemary 2 bay leaves
Hat the olive oil in a stock pot and when hot add the onions and cook until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and carrots and cook a couple of minutes. Move the sauted ingredients away from the center of the pan and place the tomato paste in the center. Press the tomato paste against the bottom of the pan for a minute or until caramelized and a deep red color.
Add the stock and stir well. Add the herb bouquet and adjust the heat so the broth is gently simmering. Cook until the liquid is reduced by 1/3, about 1 ½ hours.
Remove from the stove and strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Then transfer the broth to a storage container, or containers, and set aside to cool. When cool, cover and refrigerate if not using immediately. Discard the solids.
Meats:
- 3 chicken legs and thighs, detached, skin, on
- 1 pound / 450 g pork loin, cut into chunks
- 1 pound/ 450 g well seasoned lean sausage
- salt pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup white wine or water
Season the chicken and the pork generously with salt and pepper and set aside.
Heat a large dutch oven or deep wide cast iron roasting pan over medium heat on the stove top. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and when smoking add the chicken pieces and evenly brown on all sides. Transfer them to a platter and set aside.
Add another tablespoon olive oil to the pot and add the pork and brown on all side. Transfer to the platter along with the chicken.
Add a final tablespoon of olive oil to the pot and dd the sausage to the pan and brown on all sides. Add a half cup of wine or water to the pan and stir until the liquid is reduced and the sausage is coated with the deglazed pan juices. Transfer the sausage to a separate plate and set aside to use later.
Assembling and roasting the cassoulet:
- reserved cooked white beans with their broth
- cassoulet broth
- browned chicken
- browned pork
- browned sausage
- flat leaf parsley
preheat the oven to 325 f/ 170 c
Add about 1/2 of the cooked beans along with some of their broth to the cleaned Dutch oven or cast iron roasting pan you used previously. Arrange the chicken pieces and pork on top of the beans and add just enough cassoulet broth to nearly cover the chicken and pork.
Transfer the pan to the oven and cook about 45 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and add the remaining beans tucked in around the edges of the pan and between the chicken and pork. Then tuck in the sausage in around the chicken and the pork. Add any remaining beans around the edges. Add cassoulet broth to nearly cover all and return the pan to the oven for another 45 minutes.
At this point if the liquid around the edges of the pan is not bubbling away increase the heat to 400 f/ 200 c. Add a little broth over the meats and return the pan to the oven for another 15 minutes.
When the cassoulet is done remove from the oven and set aside for 10 minutes before serving.
Combine and warm any remaining bean broth and cassoulet broth and set aside to use when serving.
Serving:
The cassoulet may be served directly from the pan or transferred to individual shallow bowls.
I like to present the cassoulet right out of the oven for all to feast their eyes on before serving.
You can then spoon the cassoulet into individual shallow bowls. Be sure to add some of the reserved combined broth mixture which is absolutely delicious when sopped up with crusty bread! Garnish with flat leaf parsley and serve.
The overall appearance of the cassoulet should be neither dry nor soupy. I lean toward ample amounts of broth as it really is the element that binds the cassoulet together.
Garnish with flat leaf parsley sprigs.
Suggested: Serve with a copious summer salad and a loaf of crusty bread!
Bon Appetite!
