This vanilla chicken recipe is surprisingly easy to make and luscious. It hails from Papantla, in northern Veracruz, where vanilla was discovered.
This has become one of my favorite buffet party dishes by adapting the recipe somewhat. I marinate chicken drumettes in the orange juice, garlic, vanilla, powdered toasted small red chiles, and salt overnight. About an hour before serving, I bake the chicken drumettes in a 350°F oven until the juice is absorbed and the chicken is golden.
Photo by Cathy Gigante Brown
Spicy Vanilla Chicken
In the original recipe, the chicken is cooked in water (I use chicken stock) until the stock is consumed and the chicken starts browning by itself and only then do you add the orange juice and other ingredients. Suit yourself.Adapted from Zarela’s Veracruz, Houghton Mifflin 2001
Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoons large dried chiltepín chiles or to taste
- 4 chicken legs
- 4 chicken thighs
- OR 4 pounds drumettes instead of legs and thighs
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons lard, preferably
home-rendered or vegetable oil - 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- ¼ cup cider vinegar or other mild-flavored vinegar
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Juice of 3 oranges
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 vanilla bean split
Instructions
- Place the chiles in a small heavy skillet over very low heat. Let them toast, stirring constantly, until they make a hollow sound, about 12-15 minutes. They should be brittle but only faintly darkened, not burned. Let cool slightly and grind to a fine powder using an electric spice or coffee grinder (or if you have one, a Mexican stone molcajete).
- Season the chicken with salt and freshly-ground black pepper.
- Heat the lard or vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken pieces until golden, about 3 minutes on each side.
- When the chicken is browned, pour off any excess fat from the pot and return to medium heat. Sprinkle the ground chiles and black pepper over the chicken, turning the pieces to coat evenly. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the vinegar, butter, orange juice, chicken stock, and scrape in the seeds of the vanilla bean and the bean; cook, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes more, or until the sharpness of the vinegar is mellowed and the sauce has reduced to a syrupy glaze. Serve hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 707kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 42gFat: 54gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 240mgSodium: 1474mgPotassium: 771mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1401IUVitamin C: 33mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 2mg
