Recipe and photo courtesy of chef Misael Canché of Kanché in Querétaro. Click here to read an interview with the chef.
For the chicken
1 teaspoon or 10 grams of recado blanco (a traditional Yucatecan spice paste made from roasted garlic, onion, and spices including black pepper, allspice, cloves, oregano and cinnamon)
1 tablespoon or 15 milliliters of water to dissolve the recado blanco
1 tablespoon or 20 grams of salt
1 leg with thigh or 376 grams of chicken
Dilute the recado blanco with the water and add salt, mix until it forms a kind of creamy paste. Coat the entire thigh with the paste, roast over charcoal until the skin is golden brown but the chicken is still raw inside. Set aside.
For the fried tortilla strips
Vegetable oil for frying, as needed
3 corn tortillas cut into strips about 8 cm long
In a pot over medium heat, heat the oil and fry the tortilla strips for 3 minutes or until they are light golden brown and crispy. Set aside until ready to serve.
For the broth
The roasted chicken from the first step
1.5 liters of water
1 cup or 250 grams of sautéed tomato sauce
1 xcatik chili pepper or 50 grams, whole, roasted
½ teaspoon or 1 gram of Yucatecan oregano
½ tablespoon or 10 grams of salt
1 Yucatecan lime, halved, roasted
Juice of 1 Yucatecan lime or 15 milliliters, freshly squeezed
Note: Depending on the season, the juice obtained from the limes may vary.
Place the first 6 ingredients in a pot over high heat, bring to a boil for 30 minutes or until the chicken is well cooked and tender. Remove the chicken from the broth, let cool, shred, and set aside until ready to serve. Add the roasted lime and lime juice to the broth, keep on the heat for 5 more minutes, remove from heat, and serve.
To assemble one serving
½ cup or 55 grams of shredded chicken
10 grams of fried tortilla strips
½ cup or 120 milliliters of broth
Place all ingredients in a bowl and serve.