Mexicanish Chicken
The New York Times is covering California’s fires, heat wave, and pandemic under the headline “California’s ‘Horrible’ Month.”
That sounds about right.
Friends are under threat of evacuation. The air is filled with smoke and ash.
We were warned our power would be shut off in rolling blackouts between three and ten o’clock at night. Instead, the lights went off Tuesday morning, just as John’s caregiver was readying him for the shower.
Plans changed.
That about sums up 2020. Plans changed.
—
Why Mexicanish Chicken? Well, neither dish nor cook are Mexican, and heaven forfend the authenticity police are miffed.
Mexicanish chicken makes for excellent eating when one is under threat of rolling blackout, sweltering, or just craves chicken. Give it a long or short marinade, then cook your chicken early in the day, before the lights go off or the idea of an oven unbearable. Mexicanish chicken is delicious hot, warm, or right out of the fridge.
There’s tequila in those little dishes. Not that you can tell.
Should you have fresh peppers around, consider making a quick sauce of them: blister the peppers under a broiler or atop a burner. When they’re cool enough to handle, peel and seed, then toss into the processor with a garlic clove. Season with salt, pepper, and perhaps a dash of cayenne.
You could also accompany your chicken with a tomato salsa. Roast your tomatoes–or not–and puree them in the same processor, which you need not wash. Add salt pepper, garlic, and some minced onion.
Serve the chicken with one or both sauces, and a platter of sliced avocado, lettuce, lime wedges, and more tomatoes (there is no such thing as too many tomatoes).
Those of you with air conditioning can make tortilla chips. Slice store-bought tortillas into strips, place them on a foil lined baking sheet, and salt. Add a pour of canola oil. Bake in 450F/220C oven for about 20 minutes. Try not to eat them all yourself.
I don’t have a picture of the tortilla chips. We ate them. Here’s an interesting wall in Oakland.
Don’t forget the cold beer or the sour cream.
Mexicanish Chicken
Serves 2-3, easily scaled upward
Prep time: Marinate from 1-5 hours. Bake for one hour.
1 pound/454 grams bone-in, skin on chicken parts (see notes)
1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
1/4 tsp–or more–of cayenne or ancho chile powder (see notes)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
the juice of one lime
2-3 tablespoons tequila
1-2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
vegetable oil, for the pan
Marinate the chicken:
Place the chicken parts in a large bowl or baking dish. Season with the dried spices, salt, and pepper. Massage lightly into each piece with your clean hands.
Squeeze lime juice over the chicken. Add the tequila. Cover–or not, I never do–and refrigerate.
Take the chicken out of the refrigerator an hour before cooking time. If you kitchen is blazingly hot, take it out 30 minutes before cooking.
Preheat oven to 350F/180C
If the chicken isn’t already there, place it in a baking pan that will hold the pieces in one layer. Tip any marinade from bowl to baking dish. Add about two tablespoons oil to the baking dish.
Bake the chicken for about an hour; test it for doneness at about 40 minutes. To test for doneness, pierce chicken at bone with knife, skewer, or fork. The juices should run clear. Meat should not be pink.
Serve with lettuce, tomato, lime wedges, and sliced avocado. Tortillas, beans, rice, and corn also pair well with Mexicanish chicken.
For a quick pepper sauce:
blister red, green, and/or jalapeno peppers under a broiler or atop a burner. Once they’re cool enough to handle, peel and seed, then toss into the processor with a garlic clove. Puree. Season with salt, pepper, lime juice, and perhaps a dash of cayenne.
For tomato salsa:
Roast your tomatoes–or not–and puree them in the same processor, which you need not wash. Add salt pepper, garlic, and some minced onion. Lime is optional, but I like it.
For homemade tortilla chips:
Preheat oven to 450F/230C
Slice store bought corn or flour tortillas into strips. Lay in single layer on heavy baking sheets. Salt and oil generously. A dusting of paprika or cayenne is also nice. Bake 10-20 minutes.
Notes: I’ve made Mexicanish Chicken using chicken thighs and a mix of legs, wings, and thighs. The dish can be made with boneless, skinless chicken, but the cooking time will decrease. Check for doneness after thirty minutes.
You can make this dish spicy or not; I’ve made this chicken using cayenne pepper and ancho chile powder (not at the same time). Cayenne powder packs a wallop and will appeal to those who enjoy crying into their dinners. (This includes me.) Ancho chile powder is deeper, with less immediate heat.
Leftovers will keep, refrigerated, 3-4 days. Freeze, well-wrapped, up to two months.
