In this dish the chicken is flavored with achiote, an orange seed that is crushed into a slightly wet paste. Achiote is sold in blocks and often has a picture of a pig on the front, as pork with achiote (Cochinita pibil) is also a classic dish.
Fresh achiote paste straight from a market in Merida, Yucatan. Outside of Mexico, the paste is sold in blocks that are slightly drier
This dish has its roots in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico. A true pibil uses bitter oranges, which have the pucker of a sour grapefruit. As these can be hard to find, I am substituting a mixture of regular orange and lime juice - feel free to substitute back if you find the real deal.
The other ingredient of note are habaneros, a chile common to yucatan food. Habaneros are incredibly hot, so I only recommend using one. Even then the dish is pretty hot, so if you need to cut down to a half or a quarter, go right ahead.
Serves 4 people
- 150g achiote paste
10
cloves of garlic, unpeeled and roasted over open flame2
cups orange juice1/4
cup lime juice8-10
black peppercorns1/4
cup of olive oil1
chicken5
banana leaves1/2
tbsp salt, or to taste2-3
cups of chicken broth or water
1
large white onion, thinly sliced2
cloves of garlic, pealed and finely chopped2
bay leaves1
tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped4
allspice seeds1
habanero chile or 2 jalapeños, without stem1/2
cup of orange juice1/3
cup lime juice1/3
cup water2
tbsp olive oil- Salt to taste
Ingredients for the pickled onions minus the oregano, which I was out of on the day - no big loss
Mix the achiote with the garlic, orange juice, lime juice, peppercorns, olive oil, and salt in a blender until a thick sauce is obtained. Cut the chicken into eight to twelve pieces (chop each breast into three pieces crosswise) and add to the marinade. Stir well to coat and refrigerate overnight.
Achiote marindade over chicken pieces
If using, wrap the banana leaves around the inside of a casserole dish with lots of spare leaves hanging over the sides. If you don't have banana leaves, substitute with aluminum foil. Pour all the chicken and marinade into the casserole dish. Add two cups of chicken broth or water. Fold the leaves or foil over the chicken, completely covering the dish.
Wrapping the marinated chicken in banana leaves
Cook at 325°F for 90 minutes until the chicken is cooked. If it gets too dry, add another cup of chicken broth or water.
Once cooked, add enough broth to dilute the sauce to a stew-like consistency. Adjust salt to taste. Transfer to a large platter, sprinkle onions on top and serve family style.
Roast the chilies over an open flame. Scrape off a bit of the charred black skin, de-seed and cut into very fine strips.
Add all ingredients except the salt to a bowl and mix until well coated. Let it stand one or two hours until the onions are slightly softened. Add salt to taste.
Marinating the pickled onions for our pibil
Pour the chicken and sauce into a large flat serving dish. Top with pickled onions. Serve with corn tortillas and beans.
You can substitute the chicken in this recipe for a pound of pork butt (a classic Cochinita pibil). If doing so, you will want to attack the pork meat with a sharp paring knife, stabbing into the flesh 30 or 40 times to create deep wounds that will allow the marinade to penetrate into the flesh. Follow the directions above, but cook the pork for about two hours until the pork is soft and shreds easily as it is being served. Serve it family style and let each diner pull strips of the moist pork from the dish and straight onto their corn tortillas.