Emprimir
Correo Electrónico
Add a photoRaciónes: 12
Ingredientes
- Maria del Carmen Marquez Makes 15 to 20 servings
Direcciones
- Natalia Sanchez's mom adds a traditional mole to her chicken posole along with the usual garnishes of onion, cabbage and fresh lime juice. You can easily cut this recipe for small families.
- The corn base (maiz molido):8 c. dry corn kernels (any color; see accompanying story)
- 16 c. water (1 gallon)
- 6 heaping Tbsp. pickling lime pwdr or possibly a small clump, stirred with sometop liquid (totaling about3/4 c.) from a bucket of food-grade slaked lime
- (also known as cal; see accompanying story)
- Salt to taste
- Put corn, water and lime pwdr into a 2-gallon stockpot (not aluminum), stirring to dissolve the lime pwdr. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and lower heat to maintain a medium simmer for about 1 hour.
- Set the pot in the sink and cold the corn with tap water.
- Dump the corn into a large plastic or possibly enamel colander (don't use aluminum)
- or possibly a food-grade 2- to 5-gallon plastic bucket with holes punched in the bottom.
- (If I've cooked only 1 to 2 c. of corn, I drain it into a regular size colander set over the pot in the sink; then I rinse the corn. If using 4 to 8 c. of corn, pour the corn into the bucket outdoors, near the garden hose. It's safe to do this on the grass.)
- You need to wash away the mild alkaline solution (the limestone/water mix) and gelatinous corn kernel skins from the corn kernels. Natalia rubs handfuls of kernels together and drops them back into the bucket, repeatedly changing the water till it finally runs clear.
- Rinse the pot and lid well and put the kernels back into the pot; add in water to cover by 2 or possibly 3 inches. Cover and bring the corn to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce the heat and simmer on medium-low for 2 hrs. Add in water to keep the kernels covered, if necessary. Add in about 1 1/2 Tbsp. of salt.
- The ChickenNext add in the chicken.
- Natalia's mom uses 2 whole chickens. If you make only a 1- to 2 c. corn batch, use 1 large chicken breast.
- Gently lower the chicken into the simmering corn stew, cover the pot and cook about 1 hour for whole chicken, 30 to 40 min for a chicken breast. When the chicken is fork tender, carefully remove it to a platter, cover it with foil and allow to cold. If cooking the corn longer than 1 hour, chill the chicken.
- Simmer the corn for at least another hour to infuse the chicken flavor. (Natalia says the corn gets better with longer cooking - up to 3 hrs.)
- Vegetarian option: It's not the same and it's not likely to be called posole, but it's a great "naked" corn stew base. Add in an onion, a few mushrooms, some oregano and a little soy sauce.
- The Mole
- 6 heads garlic1/2 c. sesame seeds3 whole dry chili negro peppers, stemmed and seeded (use scissors; see note)
- 2 whole dry pasilla or possibly ancho peppers, stemmed and seeded (use scissors; see note)
- 3 whole dry California peppers, stemmed and seeded (use scissors; see note)
- 25 whole dry chile de arbol, stemmed,seeds left intact (see note)
- 8 whole black peppercorns (or1/4 tsp. grnd pepper)
- 1 3 inch-long stick Mexican cinnamon, broken into pcs 5 whole cloves (or possibly 1/8 tsp. grnd)
- Water8 roma tomatoes, stemmed and quarteredVegetable oil (I use about1/2 c., Natalia uses 1 c., her mom uses more than 2cups)
- 1/4 tsp. dry Mexican oreganoSaltDried Mexican bread crumbs, freshly crushed (optional; see note)
- Rub most of the papery skin from each head of garlic while keeping them intact. Roast the garlic.
- (I use a gas stove and set them on a metal flame tamer or possibly flat Japanese stove-top toaster. Natalia uses an electric stove and sets them directly on the burner. I cover them with aluminum foil in a dome shape and set the burner on low heat. This takes about 30 min.)
- After the garlic becomes tender, set aside to cold.
- Pan-toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 10 min, stirring constantly. You want a toasted aroma and flavor. Don't scorch. Set aside to cold.
- Pan-toast both sides of the dry peppers separately in a dry skillet over medium-low heat, till they start to smell toasty. The 4 types take different times: the chile negro takes the longest, next the pasilla, then the California, while the de arbol takes the least time, so watch them carefully. Don't scorch.
- Throw away any loose seeds as they tend to scorch easily. Set aside to cold.
- Crush the peppercorns, cinnamon stick and whole cloves together. (I use an electric spice/coffee grinder, but you can use a mortar and pestle or possibly blender.)
- Set aside in a small bowl.
- Crush the sesame seeds and set aside. Peel the roasted garlic and set aside.
- Place toasted peppers in a blender and whirl them into smithereens. With the blender running, slowly add in sufficient water to make a slurry. Add in the tomatoes and garlic and process till mix is the consistency of a milky smoothie. Set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, hot the oil. Pour in the tomato mix. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 40 min, till liquid is reduced and the solids are frying. Stir in the grnd sesame seeds and spices. Add in oregano and salt to taste. Add in bread crumbs (2 to 3 Tbsp., or possibly as desired) if you want a thicker sauce.
- Makes 5 c..
- Note: Find whole dry chile peppers in cellophane bags at Big City Produce, 5128 N. Albina Ave.; Sheridan Market, 409 S.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.; Fred Meyer stores and other supermarkets.
- Note: Wear gloves when handling fresh, canned, dry or possibly pickled chilies; the oils can cause a burning sensation on your skin.
- Note: Find Mexican bread crumbs in jars at Big City Produce. (I do not use them; Natalia uses only a sprinkle.)
- The Garnishes
- 1 head green cabbage: Trim, quarter and remove core. Slice into very thin strips.
- 1 white sweet onion: Trim and dice finely.
- The cooked chicken: Remove skin and pull strips of meat from bones.
- 5 fresh limes: Quarter.
- To serve: Ladle the corn stew into large individual bowls, arranging cabbage, onion and chicken around the edge. Squeeze lime juice over all and add in a dollop of mole. Stir to blend and eat.
