← Nouns Cooking · Mexican

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
• 1 white onion, half kept whole, half chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1 Bay leaves
• 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 100 g unsalted, skinned peanuts
• 300 g ripe tomatoes, quartered
• 1 dried ancho chilli, stem and seeds removed
• 1 chipotle chilli in adobo
• 2 whole cloves
• 2 cm piece Cinnamon stick
• ¼ tsp Cumin
• ¼ tsp Black pepper
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil

Method

1. Put the chicken, the onion half, 1 garlic clove, the bay leaf and salt in a pot, cover with water by 2 cm and simmer gently for 25 min, skimming any foam. Keep the chicken in its broth.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat and toast the peanuts for 3–4 min, stirring, until golden. Scoop them out, then toast the ancho for 20 seconds per side until it smells fragrant.
3. Soak the ancho in hot water for 10 min. In the same pan, cook the chopped onion and remaining garlic for 4 min until soft.
4. Blend the peanuts, drained ancho, chipotle, tomatoes, cooked onion and garlic, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, pepper and 500 ml of the chicken broth until completely smooth.
5. Heat the rest of the oil in a casserole over medium heat, pour in the sauce and fry for 5 min, stirring constantly so the peanuts don’t catch, until thick and a shade darker.
6. Lift in the chicken and add enough broth to make a sauce that coats a spoon. Simmer, uncovered, for 15–20 min, stirring often, until the chicken is very tender (75°C / 165°F) and the sauce is silky. Season and serve with rice and tortillas.

Tips

• Contains peanuts. Keep everyone with a peanut allergy well away from this one.
• The sauce thickens as it sits; loosen leftovers with a splash of broth when reheating.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Maricruz Avalos Mexican Please