Chicken in Tangy Escabeche of Caramelized Onions, Carrots, and Jalapeños

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(Chicken Mexican Serves: 5 Prep Time: 90 minutes)
Found in Mexican Everyday, page 259

Shopping List

  • 2 lb chicken (boneless thighs work well)
  • 1 large white onion (maybe pre sliced)
  • 2 large carrots (maybe precut), or more smaller carrots
  • Canned jalepenos in escabeche
  • Carrot noodles or sticks, to go underneath (1 bag per 2 people)

Staples Used

  • 8 cloves Garlic, halved
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup chicken broth

Recipe

Peel the carrots, and slice into moderately thin (~1/4 inch) discs.
In a small bowl, mix:
  • 2 tap ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • 4 tsp dried oregano, preferably Mexican
  • 1 tsp salt
Sprinkle half of the spice mixture over the chicken.
In the Dutch oven, heat 2 Tbl oil over medium heat. Sear the chicken, 3-4 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a plate.
While the chicken is cooking, slice the onion fairly thin. Mince 3-4 jalepenos (about half a typical can), removing stems and seeds if present.
After removing the chicken, add the onion and sliced carrots to the pan. Saute them 10-15 minutes, until the onions are softened and beginning to brown.
Add the garlic, and saute about another minute.
Add the rest of the spice mixture, the broth, vinegar, and jalepenos. Nestle the chicken into all of that, and pour in any accumulated dishes.
Cover and cook on medium-low for 10-15 minutes, enough to cook the chicken through.
While the chicken is cooking, prepare the carrot sticks. In a non-stick skillet over medium heat:
  • Heat 1 Tbl oil.
  • Add the carrot sticks / noodles, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp chipotle, and 1/2 tsp garlic powder. (Do not add the escabeche vinegar -- that makes it more acid than Kate likes.)
  • Cook covered for 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.
  • Uncover, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue to stir and cook to dry out the carrots, while the chicken finishes.
When the chicken is ready, remove it, cut into bite-sized bits, return to the broth, and stir it together.
Portion the carrot sticks into bowls, and spoon the chicken mixture on top.

Notes

This is our moderately adjusted version from the origin in Mexican Everyday. Transcribed here to help preserve my poor battered copy of the book. You should get your own copy!
The carrots are actually the best part -- that's why we serve this over more of them.
Uses: Dutch oven
Justin du Coeur (jducoeur) -- Chicken in Tangy Escabeche of Caramelized Onions, Carrots, and Jalapeños:Review
-- A bit of hassle, but quite good.

Variations