America's Heartland

[Sharon Profis] Today, we're making Salsa Verde Braised Chicken, and even though we're using just a handful of ingredients for this dish, we're going to build a lot of flavor in the process and it's going to be a delicious thing you can serve to a crowd.

The base of this recipe is salsa verde and there are a lot of ways to use a salsa, but today what we're using it for is actually braising the chicken.

So, let's get started on that component.

The base of the salsa verde is tomatillos.

Now, even though tomatillos look like tomatoes, they're actually a cousin of the tomato and they have this husk around them.

I'm going to start by peeling all of these.

Our tomatillos are peeled and they're on a baking sheet.

To the baking sheet, I'm also adding a jalapeo for a little spice.

Also adding two poblano peppers to balance out the tomatillos, because as the tomatillos roast, they're actually going to take on a little bit more of a sweet flavor, whereas, when they're raw, they tend to be a little bit more tart.

We have one yellow onion.

This, we're just quartering.

So, now, we'll add some garlic.

We'll add four cloves of garlic.

And before this goes into the oven, I'm not adding any oil or any other fat.

It just doesn't need it.

We want that char.

And that's what's really going to build a lot of flavor for this salsa.

I'll put this under the broiler for about 10 minutes, but I'll start checking on it at five.

What we want to see is some nice charring on the tomatillos and our peppers, and then I'll flip them and cook it until the other side is also charred.

It's been about 15 minutes, and now we're ready to make the salsa.

We're going to put all these ingredients in a blender.

And before we put the poblano pepper inside, I do want to just remove this stem, of course, and some of the seeds.

Some folks leave the seeds inside.

That's totally fine if you don't want to fuss with it, but I do like removing them just because sometimes they can be a little bitter and also sometimes you can get a pretty spicy poblano.

So, I like to remove that from the equation.

I'll get all the rest of these ingredients in here, add a little bit of salt, blend it up, and our salsa verde will be ready.

[Sound of blender whirring] At this point, I'm also going to add some cilantro, I'll add half a bunch.

Give it one more whirl.

[Blender whirring] And now, we can take the salsa over to the stove, where we'll start to prepare our chicken and get it braising.

Before our chicken can start braising, we need to brown it.

That's going to build a lot of flavor in this dish, and it's a really important step.

I'll add a little bit of olive oil just to get it going.

I have six chicken thighs that I want to brown.

It'll probably take about five to seven minutes to brown the skin side.

Once it's a nice golden hue, I'll flip it over, give the backside a little bit of color and then do the second batch.

Now that our chicken is browned, it's time to get the salsa verde in this pot with most of the chicken fat that rendered while we were browning the chicken.

OK, perfect.

Our saldsa verde has taken on a slightly darker color.

And we're going to add one cup of low sodium chicken stock.

Now, all that's left to do is put the chicken back inside our pot here.

These are going to braise in here, um, at a pretty low simmer for about 30 to 45 minutes.

What you're looking for, in terms of readiness, is that the chicken is falling off the bone tender.

And to that end, you're welcome to leave it on for an hour or even longer.

While the chicken braises, let's make our pickled red onion topping.

Here's how you make it.

For this simple condiment, you'll just need two to three medium red onions, white vinegar and half a tablespoon of sugar.

Take your peeled red onions and, with a mandolin or a knife, slice quarter-inch rings, then place them in a 16 ounce jar.

In a bowl, whisk together the sugar and one cup of vinegar until the sugar dissolves.

Pour it over the onions and top it off with more vinegar so that all the onions are submerged.

Now, place the jar in the fridge overnight and enjoy these pickles on tacos, salad, or even sandwiches.

Our chicken has been braising for about an hour and is definitely falling off the bone, so now it's time to plate it.

So, I love to top it with some cilantro, some radishes, which also add some beautiful color.

I'll also add a few of our pickled red onions and a little bit of queso fresco.

And now, all that's left to do is eat!

So, what is a tomatillo?

This small green fruit is native to Mexico, where they play a key role in salsa verde and other green sauces.

The word tomatillo translates to "little tomato" in English, but these are more than just small tomatoes!

Although a tomatillo looks like an unripe tomato, they have very different flavors.

Tomatillos are tart, bringing a bright, tangy flavor to a number of dishes.

The tomatillo is sometimes called a "husk tomato," and belongs to the nightshade family, along with tomatoes, peppers and eggplant.