Ingredients
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For the Chichilo Sauce
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1 large red Tomato
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½ medium Onion
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2 large Tomatillos
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Canola Oil
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2 dried Ancho Chiles
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1 dried Mulatto Chile
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1 dried Pasilla Peppers
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2 Corn Tortillas
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1 cup (8 ounces) Canola Oil
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2 Garlic
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8 Allspice Berries
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2 whole Cloves
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¼ teaspoon Cumin Seeds
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2 cups (1 pint) Dark Chicken broth
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Kosher Salt
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Ground White Pepper
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For the Glazed Onions
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4 cups Water
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Kosher Salt
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16 whole cipollini Onion
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½ cup (4 ounces) Apple Cider Vinegar
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1 tablespoon Unsalted Butter
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1 large sprig of fresh Thyme
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Ground White Pepper
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For the Chicken
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4 boneless, skin-on individual Chicken
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Kosher Salt
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Ground White Pepper
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Canola Oil
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For the Finished Dish
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Baby Arugula
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Thin-sliced Radishes
Directions
Steps
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1
Done
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To Prepare the Chichilo SauceChar the tomato and onion chunks in a dry heavy skillet over high heat, blackening them on all sides. Expect this to take about 10 minutes. Once charred, scrape the tomato and onion chunks and any blackened bits from the skillet into a large bowl. |
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2
Done
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Char the whole tomatillos on an asador or directly over a stove burner until soft and very blackened. (I char the tomatillos whole because I want a strong contrast between the surface and the acidic interior.) Add them to the bowl of tomato and onion chunks. |
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3
Done
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Pour 1 inch of oil into a high-sided skillet or other pot and warm it until the oil ripples. Fry each whole chile briefly, just until a bit puffy, a few seconds each. Don’t hesitate in pulling them out, because they burn quickly and become bitter. Add them to the bowl. |
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4
Done
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Fry each tortilla in the oil until it turns stiff and medium brown, a matter of seconds. Add them to the bowl. |
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5
Done
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Warm the 1 cup of oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat to 350°F–360°F. Carefully, using tongs or a long-handled spoon, add the contents of the bowl to the oil. Watch out for splatters when the moist ingredients come in contact with the oil. |
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6
Done
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Add the garlic, allspice berries, cloves, and cumin to the saucepan, and cook the mixture for 5 minutes. |
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7
Done
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Pour in the stock carefully, and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes more. |
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8
Done
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Pour about half of the sauce mixture into a blender. (Do not overfill a blender with hot ingredients or you may be scraping charred vegetables off the kitchen ceiling). Puree. |
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9
Done
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Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pushing on the solids. Repeat with the remaining sauce mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until needed. |
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10
Done
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To Prepare the Glazed OnionsMake an ice bath. |
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11
Done
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Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Salt it generously. Dunk the onions into the water to blanch them for about 1 full minute. Remove the onions with a slotted spoon and plunge them into the ice bath. |
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12
Done
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When cool enough to handle, peel the onions, trimming off the stem ends. |
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13
Done
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Combine the onions in a small saucepan with the cider, butter, thyme, and pepper. Simmer over medium-high heat, stirring, until the liquid evaporates and cider glazes the onions, about 3 minutes. |
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14
Done
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Put the onions in a bowl, cover, and reserve at room temperature. |
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15
Done
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To Prepare the ChickenPreheat the oven to 350°F. |
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16
Done
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Pound the chicken breasts to an even ½-inch thickness. Season them with salt and pepper. |
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17
Done
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Warm a 10- or 12-inch ovenproof skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add a thin film of oil to the skillet. |
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18
Done
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Arrange the chicken breasts in the skillet skin-side down and sear them for about 2 ½ minutes on each side until evenly browned. |
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19
Done
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Transfer the skillet with the chicken skin-side up to the oven and bake until juices run clear (160°F–165°F on an instant-read thermometer), about 6 minutes. |
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20
Done
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Putting it all TogetherLet the chicken breasts rest about 3 minutes, then cut each into 4 equal slices. |
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21
Done
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Reheat the chichilo sauce. |
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22
Done
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Spoon ¼ cup of the warm sauce on each of 4 plates, pooling it to one side of the plate and then brushing it across the center of the plate. |
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23
Done
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Arrange one slice of the chicken above the sauce and another slice below it. In between, arrange the 2 other slices. Top each of the center slices with an onion, then arrange 2 other onions on the plate, to either side of the chicken. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and plates. Tuck arugula and amaranth leaves and optional garnishes in and around the chicken and onions and serve right away. |
