Spanish-Style Braised Chicken and Almonds

 

8 (5- to 7-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed
Salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
⅓ cup apple cider vinegar

⅓ cup water
1 cup chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped fine
2 hard-cooked large eggs, yolks and whites separated, whites chopped fine
½ cup slivered almonds, toasted
Pinch saffron threads, crumbled
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1½ tsp. lemon juice

 

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300°. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown thighs, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer thighs to plate and pour off all but 2 teaspoons fat from skillet.

Add onion and ¼ teaspoon salt to fat left in skillet and cook over medium heat until just softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in two-thirds of garlic, bay leaf, and cinnamon and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in vinegar and water; cook, scraping up any browned bits, until it starts to thicken, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth and tomatoes and bring to simmer. Nestle thighs into skillet, cover, and transfer to oven. Cook until chicken registers 195 degrees, 45 to 50 minutes.

Using potholders, remove skillet from oven. Being careful of hot skillet handle, transfer thighs to serving platter, discard skin, and tent loosely with aluminum foil.

Discard bay leaf. Transfer ¾ cup cooking liquid, egg yolks, almonds, saffron, and remaining garlic to blender. Process until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down sides of jar as needed. Return almond mixture to skillet along with 1 tablespoon parsley and lemon juice. Bring to simmer over medium heat and cook, whisking frequently, until sauce has thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over chicken and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon parsley and egg whites. Serve.

This recipe can be found here.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 recipe Taco Chicken

1 large onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

4 cans chicken broth

1 15-oz. can chopped or diced tomatoes

2 jalapeno peppers

1/4 c. fresh lime juice (3-4 limes)

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

TOPPINGS:

Store-bought tortilla chips

Sliced avocado or guacamole

Grated or crumbled cotija cheese

1/4 c. cilantro

Early in the day, begin marinating the chicken. Right before you start preparing the soup, start grilling it.

In a large stockpot, heat some olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté 3-4 minutes.

Add garlic and minced jalapeno and cook a few minutes more until pepper is softened and garlic is fragrant.

Add chicken broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow it to simmer 20 minutes.

While soup is simmering, juice the limes and set aside.

Start preparing the toppings: grate the cheese, chop the cilantro, cut up the avocado or prepare the guacamole.

Right before serving, add lime juice and chicken to the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle soup into the bowls and add desired toppings.

This recipe can be found here.