Chicken Chile Verde

OK. I have been accused of making dishes which are too complicated...Some of you might have a point. So I give you this dish...Its super simple to prepare and delicious to boot! Ha!

Homemade salsa verde is delicious and really makes this dish. If you don't have the energy to make your own (or do not have a ready supply of Tomatillos), use a store bought variety. I have used Trader Joe's and it works out really nice. But given that it is so easy to make fresh salsa verde, for far less than what you could buy at the store, I say make your own!





Ingredients
1 batch of Salsa Verde
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (remove seeds if you don't want it too spicy)
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 cup cilantro, chopped
3 cloves of garlic
1.5 teaspoons cumin powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1.5 cups rich dark chicken stock
2 tablespoons olive oil


Directions
Cut your vegetables. A food processor really helps in this recipe! Just peel the onion, quarter it. Roughly chop the cilantro into 3 parts. Smash the garlic to remove the skin. Chuck the onion, cilantro and garlic into the food processor and blend it until the onion is diced very fine. Don't overblend it--you don't want some sort of onion soup mixture! 












Add oil to a cast iron pot (I got to use my trusty Le Creuset Flame Braiser, 3 1/2 qt) and heat. I have to say, the Le Creuset was really fantastic! Its a shallow pan, and it is perfect for braising). Add the chicken in one layer. Season with salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon cumin powder. Brown the chicken on both sides and remove (You can do this in two batches if you pan isn't big enough).

Lower the heat to medium, and add the chopped onions. Add salt, pepper, the remaining (1 teaspoon) cumin powder and oregano. Scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the chicken drippings and pieces. Stir fry for 15 minutes, until the onions are soft and have lost their raw taste.













Add the chicken back to the pot. Add the chicken stock. Cover and cook until the chicken stock comes to a boil.

Add the salsa verde  and cook for another 30 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally.













Serve with rice and tortillas.  I cook my rice in a rice cooker, but add fresh tomatoes to give the rice a little spice).

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