Ancho rub pot chicken recipe
Every cuisine has an iconic roast chicken dish. In our family, this ancho rub pot chicken is our stress-free Sunday lunch. It comes with a healthy coleslaw and a big bag of (less healthy) good-quality crisps. Roasted chickens – pollos rostizados – are normally sold in Mexico City right next to panaderías, which also sell pickled chillies, salsa and handmade crisps: comfort food to take away.
To make your own, marinate the chicken overnight in the refrigerator and prepare the orange dressing in advance – that way, all you have to do on the day is shred vegetables and open a bag of crisps!
Ingredients
For the ancho dry rub (makes about 80g/3oz)- 30 g dried ancho chillies, trimmed
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp coriander (cilantro) seeds
- 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp soft brown sugar
- 1 orange, juice only (optional)
- 1 orange
- 1.5 kg whole chicken
- 20 g fresh ginger root, peeled
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 40 g ancho dry rub
- 6 tbsp orange juice
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp dark agave syrup
- 0.2 tsp Mexican oregano
- 25 g red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 x quarter of a red cabbage
- 1 x quarter of a white cabbage
- 2 carrots, peeled
- 1 x half a chayote (a type of squash)
- 10 g coriander (cilantro) leaves
- 1 large packet of crisps – or 2!
Details
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Recipe Type: Chicken
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 25 mins
- Cooking Time: 90 mins
- Serves: 4
Step-by-step
For the ancho dry rub
- Toast the chillies in a comal or non-stick frying pan (skillet) over a medium to high heat for a couple of minutes until soft and pliable. Be careful not to burn them or they will become bitter. Set aside to cool.
- Toast the fennel and coriander seeds in a small frying pan over a medium heat for a couple of minutes, until fragrant, then leave to cool.
- Place the toasted chillies, fennel and coriander seeds, cinnamon, salt and sugar in a molcajete (or coffee grinder) and crush until finely ground.
- Transfer the mixture to a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- To use this as a seasoning, simply sprinkle it on fruit or vegetables, such as fresh pineapple, apples, cucumber or jicama. It’s also great on popcorn. To use it as a marinade or rub, add the orange juice and mix to create a thick paste.
For the chicken and coleslaw
- To prepare the chicken, juice the orange and transfer the juice to a bowl. Place the squeezed orange halves inside the chicken cavity.
- Grate half the ginger and 2 of the garlic cloves into the orange juice, then place the remaining ginger and garlic in the chicken cavity (no need to grate them).
- Stir the ancho rub and olive oil into the mixture in the bowl to create a thick marinade, a bit thinner than a paste. Spread the marinade over the chicken and massage it both over and under the skin. Leave to marinate for at least one hour, or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/375°F/gas mark 5.
- Place the chicken in a heavy casserole dish (Dutch oven) fitted with a lid. Cover and bake for 1 hour, then reduce the oven temperature to 170°C/150°C fan/340°F/gas mark 3½ and bake for another 20–25 minutes, or until cooked through. To check that the chicken in cooked, insert a digital thermometer in the thickest part of the leg. It should register 75°C (167°F). If you don’t have a thermometer, pierce the chicken where one of the legs joins the body. If the juices run clear, the chicken is done. If not, cook for an extra 10 minutes and test again. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the casserole dish and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare the coleslaw. Begin by mixing together all the dressing ingredients in a bowl. Leave to infuse while you prepare the vegetables.
- Thinly slice both cabbages and place in a large bowl. Using a vegetable peeler, shred the carrot and chayote into thin ribbons and add these to the bowl too.
- Pour the dressing over the top and mix gently. Leave to infuse while the chicken is resting. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.
- Carve the chicken and serve with the coleslaw and crisps.
This recipe is from Ciudad de Mexico: Recipes and Stories from the heart of Mexico City by Edson Diaz Fuentes (Hardie Grant, £26). Photography: Robert Billington and Adam Wiseman.
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