Tomatillo Chicken - Not for the faint of heart!

With all this talk of Mexican Swine Flu, I thought I would take you on a culinary trip south of the border, from the comfort of your own home. Your own sterile, flu-free home... This recipe is yummy, but it is very bright-flavored and has a little heat. I'm just saying.


First, grab a bunch of tomatillos and then... what? What's a tomatillo, you ask? Tomatillos are like the tomato's sassy little Latina cousin. They're fresh, bright, tangy, and GREEN. And covered in a husk. They look a little like this:




To start, throw a buncha de-husked tomatillos (7 or 8 medium sized tomatillos should do the trick) on the broiler pan with a jalapeno and broil away.





While that's going, get a large pan out and cover with olive oil. Add 4 or 5 cloves of minced garlic and start to saute on a low heat.



Once your tomatillos start to get little brown spots, you can take the tomatillos out, but leave the jalapeno in just a little bit longer. We want it nice and roasty. Then throw everything in your Cuisinart, or if you're not cool enough to have a Cuisinart, give it a spin in the blender.





Poor little tomatillos.... sassy though they may be, they never deserved a fate like this. Oh well, they will be yummy.



Once everything is thoroughly blended, you can dump it in a pan and put it on the stove.





At this point, you need to put two chicken breasts under the broiler (don't forget to spray the pan with Pam first!). 8 minutes on each side should do the trick.

Okay, back to the tomatillo sauce. Let's add the seasonings: salt, pepper, and plenty of cumin.
Then a splash of lime juice, and let it simmer to reduce. Check the seasonings and adjust as necessary.



Once the chicken comes out of the oven, stick it in the sauce, put a lid on it, reduce to a medium low heat and cook for about 10 mins.





Now, take a bunch of cilantro, and using a chef's knife, remove the leaves from the stems. Take the lid off of the pan and sprinkle the cilantro over everything.





Let it wilt briefly before plating. I served with rice (which I pre-seasoned with lots of cumin and garlic salt). Once you plate it, sprinkle with a little shredded cheese.



Enjoy the fresh, tangy, bright, , citrusy, sunshiney (and slightly spicy) flavor of Mexican Springtime. Minus the Swine Flu.

Cheers!