Chile Chicken
De Arbol (Capsicum Annuum) means tree like in Spanish. The plant has thick, upright, woody stems and the chile itself is narrow, curved and bright red in color. Believed to be closely related to the pequin, the De Arbol is thin fleshed, with tannic, smoky, grassy flavor and searing heat. This chile has a heat range of 7.5 on the heat scale of 1-10. De Arbol Chiles are comparable to a Cayenne Pepper. Scoville heat units 15,000 to 30,000.
Suggested Use:
De Arbol is a hot chile and a staple in Southwest kitchens. Add some heat to your next salsa or Mexican dish. Be adventurous and add them to your next stew or chili along with the other spices Add some heat to your next salsa or Mexican dish.
Ingredients:
Marinade:
1 large garlic clove, peeled
1-2 fresh Thai bird chiles or de Arbol chiles
1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled, grated
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp red Asian chile powder or flakes (pure chile not a spice blend)
1/4 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
1/2 tsp white pepper, freshly ground
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp mustard oil, or canola
1 lb chicken breast or thighs, boneless, skinless
Curry Paste:
2-3 large garlic cloves, peeled
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled, grated
4-5 fresh Thai bird chiles or de Arbol chiles
1 tsp red Asian chili powder or flakes
1 tsp turmeric
1 Tbsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp white pepper, freshly ground
1 tsp sea salt
2 Tbsp honey (substitute brown sugar if desired)
Additional ingredients:
2 Tbsp mustard oil, or canola
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded, chopped coarse
1 green bell pepper, seeded, chopped coarse
1/4 cup cilantro for garnish, chopped
Instructions:
Combine marinade ingredients in blender and puree to a smooth paste, add a little water if needed. Place chicken in bowl with marinade and mix well to evenly coat the chicken pieces. Cover and refrigerate overnight or a minimum of 4 hours.
Combine all curry ingredients in blender and puree to a smooth paste. Set aside.
Remove chicken from marinade. Grill or broil until fully cooked and nicely browned. Set chicken aside in a bowl until needed.
Heat oil in a large heavy skillet or wok over medium heat, add the curry paste, and cook uncovered for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the onion and bell peppers, stir well and cook about 5 more minutes or until tender.
Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and add to curry with any of its juices. Stir the chicken into the curry with any of its juices. Stir the chicken into the curry and let cook for 5 minutes. Garnish with the cilantro and serve with brown basmati rice, cilantro chutney and vegetable saute or a salad.
Serves 4. Heat Level: Hot
From Chile Peppers calendar by Larry Noggle.