Chicken with charred chilli and garlic

Tamara West

This is a fresh, bold and delicious combination typifying Mexican cuisine. The reason for charring fresh ingredients is to add a subtle smoky depth to the finished dish. If you joint your chicken, use the carcass to make up the chicken stock while you are marinating the chicken.

Ingredients

1 ¼ tsp	Ground coriander
1 ¼ tsp	Dried oregano
¾ tsp	Cumin seeds, ground, toasted
½ tsp	Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp	Flaky sea salt
½ cup	Freshly squeezed orange juice
¼ tsp	Ground cinnamon
¼ tsp	Allspice
1	Grapefruit, large, juiced
½ cup	Fresh lime juice
2	Garlic, very finely chopped, plus 5 whole garlic cloves, peeled
1	Chicken, jointed, or use chicken pieces on the bone (Main)
4	Green chillies, or 2 anaheim peppers
1 Tbsp	Sunflower oil
2	Onions, medium, cut into thick slices. The mild white Spanish onion is perfect here, if available.
1 cup	Chicken stock, made from the carcass after jointing

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine the spices and set aside. Pour the juices into a large ceramic bowl, add the chopped garlic and half the spice mix. Place in the chicken pieces and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
2. Heat the oven to 180C. Heat a chargrill pan or a barbecue grill.
3. Roast the anaheim peppers or chillies over the flame of a gas burner or barbecue grill until they are lightly charred all over, making sure the flesh does not burn. Set aside.
4. Spear the garlic cloves with a long-handled metal skewer and roast until lightly charred all over. Set aside.
5. Remove the chicken from the marinade (reserve the marinade) and place on the barbecue grill or in a chargrill pan. Grill for about 8 minutes or until lightly charred on both sides. Place in an ovenproof dish.
6. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and the remaining spice mix and cook until the onions are soft and just beginning to colour, about 10 minutes. Stir in the charred chillies, charred garlic, reserved marinade and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, pour over the chicken pieces and cover dish with its lid.
7. Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear. Serve with warm soft tortillas.

Tip: This dish can all be cooked in the frying pan on the stove top rather than in the oven. Keep covered with a lid until the chicken is cooked. Remove the chicken pieces to a warm plate and keep loosely covered if you wish to reduce the sauce to a more syrupy consistency.