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Mexican Style Charcoal Grilled Chicken with Poblano Chile Rajas

Source of Recipe

Robert Del Grande


List of Ingredients

1 whole chicken, cut into quarters
12 cloves garlic
l/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. lime juice
2 tsp. red chile powder
2 tsp. dried oregano
l/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. fine sea salt

Rajas:
4 poblano chiles
2 sm. yellow onions, peeled
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Garnishes:
Cilantro sprigs
Lime wedges

Wood charcoal for grilling the chicken


Recipe

Prepare the chicken by poaching: Place the quartered chicken and the garlic cloves in a 5-qt. pot. Add just enough water to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken pieces to a mixing bowl and allow to cool. Remove the garlic cloves and reserve for the Rajas below. (Reserve the chicken broth for chicken soup or discard.)

When the chicken has cooled, pour off any accumulated liquid. Add the chopped cilantro, olive oil, and lime juice to the chicken in the bowl. Toss to coat the chicken. Combine the red chile powder, dried oregano, cinnamon, and sea salt and mix well. Sprinkle this mix­ture over the chicken and toss to coat well. Reserve and allow to marinate until the char­coal fire is ready.

Preparing the poblano chile rajas: Char the skin of the poblanos over an open flame or under a hot broiler. Seal in a paper bag and allow to cool. Remove the charred skins. Split the chiles open and remove the stems and seeds. Cut the chiles into 1/2-in. strips.

Cut the onions into 1/2-in. slices and separate into rings.

Combine the poblano chile strips, onion rings, salt, and the reserved poached garlic cloves from above in a mixing bowl. Add the olive oil and lightly toss to coat the ingredients.

Grilling the marinated chicken: Prepare a wood charcoal fire. Spread the hot coals into a sparse layer. The heat from the charcoal should not be too hot.

Very slowly grill the marinated chicken over the charcoal fire until the skin is lightly browned and the chicken is cooked through. Baste the chicken occasionally with a little olive oil. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter.

Finishing the poblano chile rajas and serving the chicken: Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until very hot. Carefully add the rajas mixture all at once. Stir quickly for approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute. Spoon the rajas over the grilled chicken. Garnish the platter with cilantro sprigs and lime wedges.

Serve with plain steamed rice or a crisp romaine salad.

Robert Del Grande
Cafe Annie & Cafe Express