Adobo Chicken in Parchment
Tender chicken legs slowly steamed in parchment paper with a rich, aromatic adobo sauce made from dried chiles, garlic, and traditional Mexican spices. The meat becomes incredibly tender and infused with complex flavors from the guajillo and árbol chiles.
Ingredients
- •8 whole dried guajillo chiles, wiped clean
- •8 whole dried chiles de árbol
- •1 tablespoon fine sea salt
- •10 cloves garlic cloves
- •2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- •2 teaspoons dried oregano
- •1 teaspoon anise seeds
- •8 whole cloves
- •1 piece cinnamon stick
- •1 cup water
- •¼ cup cider vinegar
- •6 whole whole chicken legs
- •1 piece Kitchen string
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Slit guajillo chiles lengthwise, then stem and seed. Heat a dry cast-iron skillet (not nonstick) over medium heat until hot, then toast chiles in batches (with guajillos opened flat), turning and pressing with tongs, until more pliable and slightly changed in color, about 30 seconds per batch. Transfer to a bowl and soak in boiling-hot water until softened, about 15 minutes.
20 min
- 2.
Drain chiles, then purée in a blender with 1 tablespoon sea salt and remaining ingredients except chicken and remaining sea salt until adobo is very smooth, about 1 minute.
5 min
- 3.
Sprinkle chicken with remaining 3/4 teaspoon sea salt. Place 1 chicken leg in center of a sheet of parchment paper (about 20 by 15 inches) and cover with 1/3 cup adobo. Gather parchment up around chicken and tie tightly with kitchen string. Repeat with remaining chicken and adobo.
15 min
- 4.
Arrange packages in 2 steamer racks and/or pasta-pot inserts. Set steamer racks (on top of each other) over boiling water in a pasta pot (use 2 pots if you can't layer your racks) and steam, covered tightly, until chicken is very tender and starting to fall off the bone, 1 3/4 to 2 hours. (Replenish water as necessary.)
120 min
- 5.
Carefully transfer each package to a shallow bowl. Remove kitchen string and slowly slide parchment out from underneath chicken and broth. Season with salt.
5 min
