Tomatillo Chicken

This is a recipe I made many years ago:

Tomatillo Chicken

1.      Preparation

o       Vegetables preparation

§        Peel and wash about a dozen tomatillo

·        This is accomplished by peeling off the paper like shells and rinsing them in warm water

§        Purée the tomatillo in a blender or finely chop and put the tomatillo and juice off to the side

§        Chop up a medium white onion

§        Optional prepare additional vegetables (i.e. carrots, celery, peppers, etc) :

·        Julienne or chop to a desired size, suggested minimum bite size

o       Seasoning/blacken spices preparation

§        ¼ tsp cumin

§        ¼ tsp red chili powder

§        A dash or two of Cheyenne chili powder

§        ¼ tsp black pepper

§        ¼ tsp ground salt

§        1 tbl garlic powder

o       Chicken preparation

§        Rinse and pat dry 3 – 4 skinless/boneless chicken breasts

§        Slice the chicken breasts in half (lengthwise)

o       Cheese Preparation

§        Grate one lb of cheese

2.      Cooking (vegetables and chicken should be started together or such that the vegetables are ready to add to the chicken before they are over cooked)

o       Chicken

§        Heat olive oil in a skillet

§        Lay chicken pieces into the oil

·        Season with the ½ of the seasoning mixture and lay the seasoned side down

·        Season the opposite side of the chicken breast with the remaining seasoning

§        Brown/blacken chicken on both sides

§        Add ¼ to 1/3 portion of the tomatillo purée to the skillet along with 1 cup of white wine

§        Cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes

o       Vegetables

§        Combine ¾ to 2/3 of the tomatillo purée, all of the chopped vegetables, 1 – 2 cups of white wine to a large pot (6 – 8 qts) season as desired and bring to a low simmer.  Do not cover, allow the juices to reduce but not burn, add wine as required to maintain juices. Try to not over cook the vegetables; you will want to have them still crispy when you add it to the chicken.

o       Combination

§        Add the entire contents of the brown/blacken chicken to the vegetable pot

§        Add ½ to ¾ of the cheese to the vegetable pot

§        Stir will apply low heat and allow cheese to melt

3.      Serving

o       Serve mixture over polenta, rice, or tortilla chips with a sprinkling of cilantro and cheese

o       Serve with a glass of the white wine used to cook the vegetables and meat