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POLLO AGRIDULCE Sweet and Sour Chicken
This recipe was adapted from the one served at Tijuana’s Cien Años restaurant. It has all the classic recipe elements: sweet, sour, hot and salty, and delivers a fresh taste with unexpectedly mild heat (considering the large amount of ancho chiles).
1/4 cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt
5 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup (about 3) ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded and very finely chopped
3 - 4 tablespoons olive oil
4 boneless, skinless, half chicken breasts pounded to about 1/4 inch thick
Salt to taste
1 avocado sliced
Mix together the vinegar, water, salt and sugar until the solids have dissolved. Heat a saucepan over medium to medium low heat, add the 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic and finely chopped chiles, and cook, stirring constantly, until the chiles begin to darken and stiffen. Add ½ cup of the vinegar mixture and simmer until about 2/3 of the liquid has evaporated. Set the sauce aside until you are ready to prepare the chicken.
Sprinkle salt to taste over the chicken. Heat a skillet over medium high heat, add the 3 - 4 tablespoons olive oil, and saute the chicken until just done. (You will probably have to do this in two batches). Place the cooked chicken on serving plates, bring the chile mixture back to a boil and continue cooking until the remaining liquid has thickened to a sauce-like consistency. Spoon the chile and sauce over the chicken, garnish with avocado slices, and serve with Mexican style rice and steamed vegetables.
Serves 4
Recipe from: La cocina de la frontera, Mexican-American Cooking From the Southwest ,
featuring the different Mexican cooking styles found in Texas, Arizona, California and New Mexico.
