Yucatan Chicken Lime Recipes

YUCATAN-STYLE CHICKEN AND LIME SOUP

Steps:

• Make stock: Pull meat off bones and dice enough to make 2 cups; set aside. Put bones in a 6-qt. pot and pour in 9 cups water (to just cover bones). Add celery, carrot, onion quarter, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, lid barely ajar, 2 hours. Strain stock and return to cleaned pot.
• Add lime juice, salt to taste, chopped onion, zucchini, and corn. Bring to a simmer, then add 2 cups diced reserved chicken. Simmer until vegetables are just cooked, 1 to 2 minutes more. Taste and season with salt.
• Put 1/3 cup rice in each of 4 bowls. Ladle soup over rice. Stem and halve squash blossoms (if using) and add to bowls. Top with some cheese and a grind of pepper. MAKE AHEAD Soup through Step 2, up to 1 day. Cooked rice, up to 2 days.

GRILLED YUCATAN CHICKEN SKEWERS

Steps:

• Skewer each half chicken thigh with 2 skewers so that they lay flat. Place the chicken in a large shallow baking dish.
• Whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, oil, chili powder, and garlic. Pour over the thighs and marinate in the refrigerator 1 to 4 hours.
• Prepare a charcoal grill to high heat.
• Remove the thighs from the marinade and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the thighs directly over the coals and cook until each side becomes golden brown and slightly charred, about 4 minutes per side. Turn, cover the grill and cook for another few minutes until tender.
• Remove from the grill and let rest 5 minutes. Cut the thighs directly down the center creating 2 skewers. Remove the chicken from the skewers and serve garnished with scallions and lime wedges.

YUCATAN-STYLE CHICKEN, LIME, AND ORZO SOUP

Steps:

• Cook orzo in pot of boiling salted water until just tender. Drain well.
• Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and chiles. Sauté until onion begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Add chicken; sauté 1 minute. Add broth, lime juice, and tomato. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Mix in orzo, then chopped cilantro. Season soup with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into 4 bowls. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.

YUCATáN LIME AND CHICKEN SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500°. Arrange the tomatoes on a small rimmed baking sheet. Set the unpeeled onion in a pie plate with 6 of the garlic cloves. Roast the vegetables on the top rack of the oven until blackened on top and tender, about 10 minutes for the garlic, 20 for the tomatoes and 30 for the onion. Let cool slightly, then cut the onion in half. Press the tomatoes through a coarse strainer.
• In a large saucepan, cover the chicken breasts with the stock. Add the lime zest and lime halves, allspice, oregano, the remaining 15 garlic cloves and a pinch each of salt and pepper and bring to a boil over moderately high heat. Add the roasted onion, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken to a platter and let cool. Gently simmer the broth for 10 minutes, then strain. Wipe out the saucepan. Remove the chicken from the bones and tear it into thick shreds.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in the saucepan. Add the scallions and roasted garlic; mash the cloves to a paste with a fork. Cook over moderately high heat until the scallions are browned, 4 minutes. Add the strained tomatoes and simmer until the fat separates from the sauce, about 5 minutes. Add the strained broth and bring to a boil; reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 cup of oil until shimmering. Add one-fourth of the tortilla strips and fry over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and season with salt. Repeat with the remaining tortilla strips, lowering the heat if the oil gets too hot.
• Add the chicken to the broth and cook until heated through. Ladle the soup into bowls, top with the tortilla strips and sprinkle with oregano. Serve, passing lime wedges, minced onion and banana chiles at the table.