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Anyone that’s experienced the enticing allure of spicy grilled chicken from a street stall anywhere in Mexico, will have a clue what’s coming when you prepare this dish. Lip-tinglingly seared chicken (here chicken breasts) dressed out with Frontera Roasted Poblano Salsa and lime, is served wrapped in soft, steamy tortillas with grilled green onions. These are some of the most classic flavors from Mexico, and they’re perfect for summer entertaining. Start your guests with some Frontera Tangy Green Guacamole, and accompany your tacos with a big salad or bowls of pinto beans simmered with bacon and roasted tomato. Frontera Mexican Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars would give just the right finish.
Makes 8 moderate servings
2 to 4 fresh jalapeño chiles, stems removed (optional, but desirable for those who like it spicy)
2 cups Frontera Roasted Poblano Salsa (plus more if you’ve got a salsa-hungry crowd)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 limes, cut into 6 wedges each
8 large (about 3 _ pounds total) boneless chicken breast halves
18 green onions, roots and wilted shoots trimmed off
A few tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
2 or 3 dozen steaming hot corn tortillas (see note)
In a small, ungreased skillet, dry-roast the jalapeños over medium heat, turning regularly, until the chiles are soft and well darkened in spots, 5 to 10 minutes. Place in a food processor or blender with _ cup of the salsa, the Worcestershire and the juice from 3 or 4 wedges of the lime. Process to a smooth puree. Arrange the chicken breasts in a baking dish, pour the salsa mixture over them, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (but no more than overnight).
Preheat a gas grill or light a charcoal fire and let burn until the coals are covered with gray ash. With a brush, lightly coat the green onions with oil, then lay them on the fire (in a spot that’s not too hot). Grill, turning them regularly, until they’re soft, sweet and mouth-wateringly browned, about 4 minutes. Remove 2 of the largest green onions, chop them into _-inch pieces and stir into the remaining 1 _ cups of salsa. Squeeze another wedge or two of lime over the remaining onions and keep them warm on the side of the grill or in a low oven.
Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade, scraping as much as possible back into the pan; reserve the marinade. Brush chicken lightly with oil on both sides, lay on hot, well-oiled grill grates, and grill until done through but still juicy, about 8 minutes per side. During the last couple of minutes on the grill, brush a nice coating of the marinade over the chicken.
Slice the chicken into _-inch-wide strips, scoop onto a warm serving platter, flanked by the grilled onions and lime wedges. Pass the platter with hot tortillas kept warm in a towel-lined basket. Let your guests make their own soft tacos of the chicken and grilled onions, encouraging them to spoon on the salsa-onion mixture and squeeze on lime to their own liking.
REHEATING CORN TORTILLAS: In Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen we described a good method for heating corn tortillas: wrap them by 1 dozen in clean kitchen towels, lay the packages in a steamer, set the lid in place, bring to a strong boil for 1 minute, then remove from the fire and let stand, covered, for 15 minutes. For larger quantities, as called for in this recipe, you may find the following easier: set up a cooling rack over a roasting pan containing about 1 inch of simmering water; lay the tortillas a few at a time on the rack, steaming-heating them until thoroughly soft. Stack them in dozens, wrap in towels, and keep warm in a small ice chest (without ice of course) or similar insulated closed container. You may also microwave-heat the corn tortillas (wrapped in microwave-grade plastic wrap, in stacks of 10 to12) for 1 minute on high before storing them in an insulated container, though they don’t tend to be quite as freshly moist.
Recipe from Salsas That Cook by Rick Bayless with JeanMarie Brownson and Deann Groen Bayless.
RELATED PRODUCTS: cookbooks, Frontera salsa
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