Spanish Chicken Under a Brick with Spicy Tomatillo Sauce

Description:

This is a very flavorful and spicy dish that uses the same cooking process and techniques as our Chicken Under a Brick recipe. I took bone-in chicken breasts and flattened them against a hard surface and rubbed them with lime zest and garlic. Then I dusted them with a light coating of my Taco Seasoning and seared them under a brick. I then finished the chicken in a dutch over over a bed of a spicy tomatillo sauce that I created from hot peppers, onions, garlic tomatillos and lime. I served it over a bed of yellow rice topped with a garlic infused grilled poblano pepper. This is one of the best chicken dishes I have ever created. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

For the Chicken:
4 bone-in chicken breasts
zest of lime
4 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons Taco Seasoning (see recipe)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper

For the Spicy Tomatillo Sauce:
4-6 tomatillos. chopped
1 medium yellow onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1-2 jalapeños diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro diced
1 tablespoon mexican oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
Juice of one lime
2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon Chula hot sauce
Salt & pepper

Instructions:

At least 6 hours before cooking, marinate the chicken with the lime zest and garlic as follows:  Lay the chicken on a hard surface and press firmly until the breast bone collapses. Then rub the chicken with the lime zest and garlic and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in a plastic bag and refrigerate until ready to cook.

 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Wrap 2 clean bricks in aluminum foil and place in oven for at least one hour.

Remove the chicken from the bag and lightly sprinkle with taco seasoning mix.

Caution: Use a heavy-duty oven mitt to handle the heated bricks for the next set of steps.

In a large pan over high heat, add the olive oil and brown chicken on both sides for approximately 5 minutes on each side.  As soon as the chicken hits the pan, place a heated brick on top of the chicken and press down firmly to flatten the chicken. You can sear each piece of chicken separately to make sure you have an even cooking surface. Repeat for each side of the chicken until dark brown and crispy.

Remove chicken and set aside.

In the same pan, use the reserved oil to cook the onions until softened, then add the garlic and jalapeños and cook for approximately 7-8 minutes until all vegetables are softened. 

Add the spices (oregano, cumin and paprika), then pour approximately 1/2 cup of chicken broth into the pan to deglaze it.  

Add the remaining chicken broth, tomatillos, lime juice, and hot sauce and bring to a boil. 

Reduce heat to simmer and let cook for approximately 20-25 minutes until the tomatillos are completely softened. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Cook until sauce is reduced to less than one inch of height in the pan.

Place the seared chicken on top of the sauce, skin side up and fully exposed. Cover and place in the oven for 45 minutes.

When chicken is fully cooked, remove pan and set on stove with medium heat.  Remove the chicken and set aside.

If the broth is still liquid, cook down to a thick consistency. If the broth is overly-reduced, reconstitute it with a little chicken broth and cook to desired consistency.

Recommend serving over yellow rice.