Speedy Chicken Posole Food

CHILE-CHICKEN POSOLE

Steps:

• Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon thyme, and salt and pepper to taste; set aside. Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, jalapeno and garlic and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a blender, then add the chiles, cilantro and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon thyme and puree until smooth. Return to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the sauce thickens and turns deep green, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, hominy and chicken to the saucepan. Cover and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 10 minutes. Garnish with avocado, radishes and/or corn chips, if desired.
• Photograph by Antonis Achilleos

INSTANT POT CHICKEN POSOLE

Steps:

• Set an Instant Pot to saute on high. When the pot registers hot, add the dried chiles and cook until just beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add 1 cup water. Turn off the pot and put on the lid. Let sit until the chiles are completely softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Use a rubber spatula to push the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl.
• Reset the pot to saute on high. When the pot registers hot, add the vegetable oil. Add the onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt and a few grinds of pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Turn off the pot.
• Add 6 cups water, the chile puree, hominy, cilantro, oregano and bay leaf to the pot. Put on and lock the lid; make sure the steam valve is in the sealing position. Set the pot to pressure-cook on high for 1 hour 10 minutes. When the time is up, carefully turn the steam valve to the venting position to manually release the pressure. Turn off the pot and remove the lid.
• Add the chicken to the pot and press to submerge in the liquid. Replace and lock the lid; return the steam valve to the sealing position. Set the pot to pressure-cook on high for 10 minutes. When the time is up, carefully turn the steam valve to the venting position to manually release the pressure. Turn off the pot and remove the lid.
• Discard the bay leaf. Transfer the chicken to a rimmed baking sheet and shred into bite-size pieces with two forks. Return to the pot along with any accumulated juices and stir to combine. Divide among bowls and top with dried oregano, radishes, queso fresco, cilantro, sour cream and/or cabbage. Serve with lime wedges.

CHICKEN POZOLE

Steps:

• Boil the nix tamal in a saucepan of water until tender, about 30 minutes; then remove it from the boiling water and set aside.
• Break the stems from the New Mexico chilies, shake the seeds from the pods, and wash the chilies. Add the chilies to the boiling water and boil until soft, about 15 minutes. When done, put the chilies in a blender with the 5 garlic cloves. Blend until smooth and then push through a sieve. Set the paste aside.
• In a large saute pan over low heat, heat oil and then saute the onions and 10 crushed garlic cloves until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the sauteed onions and garlic to a large stockpot with the whole chickens, oregano, bay leaves, and chicken base. Cover with water, at least 3/4 of the way up the pot. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked, about 20 minutes.
• Remove the chickens from the broth and allow to cool. De-bone the chickens and then return to the broth. Add the cooked hominy and chili paste. Simmer for 30 minutes and then adjust seasoning with salt. Serve in large bowls garnished with sliced radish and sliced cabbage.

SLOW COOKER SHORTCUT CHICKEN POZOLE

Steps:

• Combine the onion, carrot, celery and garlic in a 5- to 8-quart slow cooker. Pull the whole chiles out of the can of chipotles in adobo (use only half if you prefer the finished dish to be medium-spicy), and roughly chop them. Add the chiles and all the adobo sauce to the slow cooker as well as the onion and garlic powders and cumin. Pull the skin from half of the chicken legs and discard it, or save to render the fat at another time. (Start at the thigh and pull the skin off the drumstick as if removing a glove; it should come off fairly easily.)
• Add the chicken legs to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Pour in the broth. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt if you are using low-sodium broth or 1 teaspoon salt if using homemade unsalted stock. Do not add salt now if you are using fully salted broth. Cook on low until the chicken is tender and the broth is flavorful, at least 4 hours and up to 6 hours. If it's more convenient, let the slow cooker switch to warm after 6 hours. The soup will hold on warm for about an additional 2 hours before the chicken dries out.
• Switch the heat to high. With tongs or a slotted spoon, remove the chicken and vegetables to a bowl. Discard the vegetables and let the chicken cool while you finish the soup. Using an immersion blender (see Tip), purée the broth. (It will be mostly smooth but some small flecks of pepper skin may remain.) Stir in the corn, pozole and lime juice. Shred the chicken meat, discarding the bones and skin, and add it into the soup. Replace the cover, let the ingredients warm through and serve the soup in bowls with the toppings of your choice.