Pollo Ticul: Yucatan-Style Chicken

Chef Avram is particularly proud of his new recipe for Pollo Ticul, a Yucatan-style Mexican chicken. He debuted the recipe at his recent class on the cuisine of Mexico. It's spicy and flavorful; sure to impress friends on Sukkot or whenever you choose to serve it.

Ingredients:

Achiote Paste 2 oz.
Sour orange juice ¼ cup
Garlic, peeled and finely chopped 2 cloves Honey 1 ½ Tablespoons
Cumin seeds, toasted 1 Tablespoon
Oregano, dried 1 teaspoon
Banana leaves 4 leaves
Corn oil ¼ cup
Plum tomatoes, small dice 3 ea.
Green pepper, small dice 5 oz.
Onion, Spanish, small dice 6 oz.
Chicken 3-4 LBS. cut in 1/8’s 1 ea.

Procedure

Mix the first six ingredients in a large bowl. Use a hand blender if possible to help bruise the seeds. Place the chicken in the bowl and marinate, covered overnight, in the refrigerator. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan and add the onion and green peppers. Cook until the onions are translucent. Add the tomatoes and season well with salt and pepper. Reserve.

Preheat the oven to 400°.

Lightly oil a large baking dish. Line the pan with aluminum foil then alternate lying banana leaves lengthwise then widthwise. Make packages of chicken with the marinade and the sautéed vegetables by wrapping the chicken in a leaf and forming a “package.” Wrap each package in aluminum foil and seal. Bake 45 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes. Serve hot.