Serves 4 to 6
Split chicken halves are whole chickens that have been split in two through the breastbone. Buy them at the market or see page 31 for instructions on how to prepare them yourself. Lee Kum Kee Tabletop Soy Sauce is our favorite supermarket brand.
KEY TO BOLD FLAVOR: MESQUITE
Authentic huli huli chicken is grilled over kiawe wood, from a hardwood tree that is a species of mesquite. The test kitchen finds mesquite wood chips too assertive for long-cooked chicken and pork dishes; after an hour or two, the smoke turns the meat bitter. But we liked them in this comparatively quick recipe. Our Huli Huli Chicken recipe will work with any variety of wood chips, but if you care about authenticity, mesquite is the chip of choice.
WHEN THE CHIPS ARE DOWN
Assertive mesquite doesn’t always work, but we like it here.
Slow cooker instructions: http://sandynawrot.blogspot.com/2011/05/weekend-cooking-slow-cooker-revolution_28.html
- Glaze:
- packed light brown sugar
- soy sauce
- ketchup
- rice vinegar
- grated fresh ginger
- chili-garlic sauce
- Chicken:
- water
- soy sauce
- vegetable oil
- grated fresh ginger
This is one of the cookbooks Grandma covered in wallpaper and marked inside the cover her favorite recipe. The page is quite stained, if that is any evidence of a well-loved recipe.
- olive oil
- butter
- nutmeg
- flour
- dry white wine
- Juice of one lemon
- parsley
- lemon
- Salt and pepper
I’m always in search of good chicken recipes, and although these weren’t marked by Grandma, I’m adding these poultry recipes because they are simple and delicious.
- butter
- chicken of about 3 pounds
- Salt and pepper
- fat-free chicken broth
- large chopped onion
- large chopped red bell pepper
- seeded and finely chopped fresh jalapeno pepper
- minced garlic
- dried oregano
- coarse salt
- cayenne pepper
- cooked chicken breast
- Cream of Mushroom soup
- Refried beans
- Flour Tortilla
- Salt and Pepper
- Boneless Chicken Breasts
- Olive Oil
- Sherry
- Italian bread crumbs
- freshly ground black pepper
- apple juice
- tangy or whole-grain Dijon mustard
- chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
- chili powder
- ground cumin
- ground turkey
- frozen corn kernels
Serves 4
- cider vinegar
- canola oil
- chili powder
- dried oregano
- percent lean ground turkey
- tomato sauce
- low-sodium chicken broth
- Salt and ground black pepper
- light brown sugar
SERVES 4-6
You can substitute three 11-ounce cans of tomatillos, drained and rinsed, for the fresh ones in this recipe. Halve large tomatillos (more than 2 inches in diameter) and place them skin-side up for broiling in step 2 to ensure even cooking and charring. If you can’t find poblanos, substitute 4 large jalapeño chiles (with seeds and ribs removed). To increase the spiciness of the sauce, reserve some of the chiles’ ribs and seeds and add them to the food processor in step 3.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
To re-create the enchiladas verdes recipes found in good Mexican restaurants, we needed a recipe for moist, tender chicken with fresh, citrusy flavors wrapped in soft corn tortillas and topped with just the right amount of cheese. Poaching the breasts kept the meat moist, while dark green poblano chiles and fresh (as opposed to canned) tomatillos gave us the flavors we were looking for. Pepper Jack cheese both in the filling and on top gave our enchiladas gooeyness and a spicy kick, and spraying the tortillas with vegetable oil kept them pliable.
- Ground black pepper
- ground cumin
- low-sodium chicken broth
- coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- vegetable oil
- GARNISH
- Thinly sliced radishes