Chicken Chile Verde

I told Derek that I was just going to make my poached eggs/english muffin standard dinner and that he should figure out something simple to make or purchase for himself that night. Then I came home to this:

How could I resist. It smelled amazing - cinnamon...cilantro...yes please. So I forfeited my dinner for this fantastic surprise which ended up being a truly winning recipe.

The chicken portion was cooked in a good amount of liquid which resulted in an almost soupy consistency. For the tacos, Derek simply strained the chicken and placed it on top of a homemade tortilla with some salsa fresca. I, on the other hand, saw the soup consistency and immediately wanted it in that original form. How could I strain that delicious liquid. So for me, this was soup...or a chili really - for Derek it was a taco. How perfect.

Chicken Chile Verde

1 pound skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onions
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
3 fresh Anaheim chilies, seeds removed, minced
1 green bell pepper, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick strips
1.5 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed

2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
4 tomatillos,** husked, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano or 1 tablespoon dried
1.5 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 cinnamon stick

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Coat with flour. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of chicken to skillet and sauté until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to large pot. Repeat with 1 tablespoon oil and remaining chicken.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to pot with chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add Anaheim chilies and green bell peppers. Sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer to pot with chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet. Sauté half of corn until tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to pot with chicken. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and corn.

Add chicken broth, tomatillos, oregano, chili powder, cumin, paprika and cinnamon sticks to pot. Bring liquid to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture thickens and flavors blend, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Refrigerate until cool. Cover and keep refrigerated. Rewarm over medium heat before continuing.)

Mix cilantro into chili.

Heirloom tomato salsa fresca:

3/4 of cup of chopped assorted heirloom tomatoes
1/4 of cup of red onion diced finely
1/2 serrano pepper (seeded; seeds for more heat)
few stalks of cilantro (stems and leaves) chopped
season with salt and pepper
1 teaspoon (or more) of lime juice (about 1/3 of a lime)

Sit at room temperature to meld flavors for about 30 minutes.


Homemade corn tortillas:

1 cup of masa harina
3/4 cup (up to 1 cup if needed) of hot water
1/2 teaspoon of salt (mixed with masa flour first)

Mix ingredients, pouring water slowly. Batter should have a bounce feel to it (not too sticky, not too dry). Cover and sit out for an hour. Make 1/2 inch in diameter balls. Form tortillas. Heat for 1-2 minutes (should start to dry a bit around edges) on cast iron skillet with very small amount of oil. Flip and cook for a minute.