Drunken Chicken ( Pollo Borracho)

Question:

I have been looking for a recipe I saw on TV years ago in the San Francisco area(PBS?). I think it is yours.
I would like to know where I could find your version of Pollo Borracho.

Answer:

The recipe you  saw was probably “mine”  because it was a favorite for 20 years until I decided to let it rest. It has a nice story that comes with it:

This is arecipe from our neighbors, the Chavez family. They owned a still (“La Vinata”) that made sotol, the northern version of mezcal.. In fact, the only access to the still was through our ranch. When I was going through my time of troubles, Lupe would reply to my despair by making fresh orange juice and serving it to me with a large dose of sotol. (I also vividly remember how once when I must have been about fifteen, she put some dried corn kernels in a wet gunny sack and let them sprout. She then proceeded to ferment it somehow and made the most wonderful corn liquor. It was mild and sweet at first, but it got stronger by the day and we got sillier.)

Amelia Chavez, Nayo’s sister, devised this recipe using their sotol. But since it is completely unobtainable from anywhere but private stills like theirs, I substitute tequila. (Of course the alcohol boils off in cooking, leaving only the flavor.) The level of vinegar in this sweet-and-sour dish would not be considered excessive by many Mexicans, but it may be a bit much for some people here. Begin with a small amount and add more to taste. Amelia’s version also contained whole pickled serrano chiles, which produced a very picante dish.

POLLO BORRACHO

(“Drunken” Chicken)

 

This is another recipe from our neighbors, the Chavez family. They owned a still (“La Vinata”) that made sotol, the northern version of mezcal (see p. 000). In fact, the only access to the still was through our ranch. When I was going through my time of troubles, Lupe would reply to my despair by making fresh orange juice and serving it to me with a large dose of sotol. (I also vividly remember how once when I must have been about fifteen, she put some dried corn kernels in a wet gunny sack and let them sprout. She then proceeded to ferment it somehow and made the most wonderful corn liquor. It was mild and sweet at first, but it got stronger by the day and we got sillier.)

 

Amelia Chavez, Nayo’s sister, devised this recipe using their sotol. But since it is completely unobtainable from anywhere but private stills like theirs, I substitute tequila. (Of course the alcohol boils off in cooking, leaving only the flavor.) The level of vinegar in this sweet-and-sour dish would not be considered excessive by many Mexicans, but it may be a bit much for some people here. Begin with a small amount and add more to taste. Amelia’s version also contained whole pickled serrano chiles, which produced a very picante dish.

 

l/2  cup golden raisins

l/2  sherry, heated

l/2  cup flour

l/4   teaspoon each salt and freshly ground white pepper, or to taste

l  small (about 3 l/2-pound) chicken, cut in 6 – 8 pieces

l/2 cup corn oil or other vegetable oil

l  cup thinly sliced onion (l medium onion)

l/2 cup whole blanched almonds

l/2 cup whole pimiento-stuffed green olives

l  l/2 cups chicken stock or water

l/3  cup distilled white vinegar

l  cup tequila

l tablespoon sugar

l tablespoon cornstarch

 

Place raisins in a small bowl and pour hot sherry over them. Let sit at least 20 minutes to soften raisins. Meanwhile, combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a flat plate or dish. Roll the chicken pieces in the flour to coat evenly.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat until not quite smoking. Fry chicken pieces until well browned on outside but not cooked within, about l0 minutes. (Work with two skillets if you don’t have one big enough to hold all pieces comfortably.) Place browned chicken in baking dish or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid. Set aside while you make the sauce.

 

Discard all but about 2 tablespoons of fat from skillet. Add onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat, scraping pan to dislodge any browned bits of chicken, until onion is golden and translucent, 3 – 4 minutes. Add almonds and cook for another 2 minutes. Add olives and plumped raisins with any unabsorbed sherry; cook another 2 minutes.

 

Preheat oven to 350.

 

In small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in about l/4 cup of the chicken stock. Add the rest of the chicken stock to the skillet along with the tequila and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add l/3 cup vinegar to the mixture and taste. Continue to add vinegar (up to l cup in all) until desired tartness is achieved.

 

Stir in the cornstarch mixture. Let it boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce thickens and flavors meld, about ten minutes.

 

Pour sauce over chicken. Cover the baking dish and bake about 20 minutes, or until chicken is tender but not overcooked.

 

Serves 4.