Cinnamon Roasted Chicken with Pasilla Pan Sauce
This Mexican chile pepper is called “Chilaca” when used fresh. In California the Poblano chile is often called Pasilla. Since most of these are bought and distributed from California this mislabeling often carries over into the supermarkets nationwide causing a lot of confusion. This chile is very mild and is usually consumed in the dry form to make the famous Mexican ‘mole’ sauces.
Ingredients:
1 chicken (about 3 pounds)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. chile powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
1 corn tortilla, cut in quarters
2 plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
1/4 white onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic
2 oz. wild mushrooms, stemmed and chopped
3 pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups chicken stock
2 tsp. brown sugar
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Split the chicken down the back and open up. Place bone side down and press firmly to flatten. Make two slits in the skin near the tail and tuck the ends of the legs through holes.
Combine the cinnamon, chile powder, salt and pepper. Brush the chicken with 1 Tbsp. of olive oil and rub the chicken with the spice mixture.
In an oven-proof skillet large enough to hold the chicken, evenly spread the tortilla pieces, tomatoes, onion, garlic, mushrooms, pasilla chiles and pumpkin seeds. Drizzle 2 Tbsp. of olive oil over the vegetables. Place chicken on top of vegetables and roast until the chicken is done.
Remove the chicken from the pan and brush it with some of the pan juices. Keep warm.
Add the chicken stock to the pan and stir up the ingredients and browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Transfer the stock and drippings to a blender and puree until smooth.
Return to the pan and bring to a boil. Add the brown sugar and reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15-30 minutes to thicken.
Cut the chicken into pieces and return back to the sauce to keep warm. Serve immediately.
Recipe from www.recipezaar.com.