Pollo Encacahuatado – Chicken in Peanut sauce

Pollo encacahuatado is a delicious dish which originates from the Veracruz region in Mexico. This dish is made by cooking moist, juicy cuts of Chicken and cooking them in a creamy peanut and chilli sauce resulting in a dish with a complex nutty flavor which is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (235ml) of Peanut Oil.
• 1 Tablespoon of salt.
• 1 Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper.
• 1/2 a cup of plain flour.
• 3 lb ( 1.4 kg ) of boneless Chicken thigh fillets.
• 2 cups of raw peanuts.
• 6 Cloves of Garlic
• 1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon
• 4 Chipotle Chillis
• 4 Cups of Chicken stock.
• 1/2 teaspoon of peppercorns
• 6 cloves
• 4 Roma Tomatoes diced
• 1 Medium onion diced

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F or 180C
2. Mix Salt, Cayenne pepper, and flour and place on a large dinner plate.
3. Roll Chicken thighs around in flour mixture until well coated.
4. Heat Peanut oil in a large pan and cook chicken thighs in batches until lightly browned. Remove from pan and set aside.
5. Place peanuts on a baking tray and place in the pre-heated oven for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly toasted.
6. Toast peppercorns and cloves in a skillet over a medium eat until fragrant.
7. Place Onions, Tomatoes, Garlic , Peppercorns, Cloves, Peanuts & 1 cup of the chicken stock into a blender and blend until smooth.
8. Heat Peanut oil in a large flameproof casserole and fry the peanut spice mixture until it begins to thicken and become darker in color.
9. Add the remaining chicken stock and the chicken to the casserole and stir to ensure the chicken is completely covered.
10. Bake in a the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes until the chicken is soft and tender.
11. Serve over rice.