Recipes from Mexico :: Mexican Main Dishes Poultry

5 Tbsp. lard or olive oil
2 small onions, chopped
10 small cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3 1/4 lbs. tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped
1 (8 to 10 ounce) jar pitted green olives
1/4 pound raisins
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. dried thyme (or substitute oregano)
2 to 2 1/2 Tbsp. broken cinnamon sticks
Salt to taste
1/4 pound whole almonds
1 (2 1/2 to 3 pound) chicken, cut into serving pieces
    with 3/4 of skin removed
Garlic salt
1/2 (7 ounce) can pickled serrano chiles (or substitute
    slightly more canned jalapenos)
1/4 c. parsley, minced

Heat half the fat in large pot over med. heat. Add onions and garlic; cook until just soft but not browned. Add tomatoes.

Chop half the olives and raisins (reserving remaining portions), add them to pot and continue to cook for 2 mins. Add sugar, thyme, cinnamon sticks and salt, and cook 5 mins.; allow to cool.

Meanwhile, boil almonds for 5-10 mins., allow them to cool; remove the skins.

Place cooled sauce mixture and half the almonds in a blender and blend for 1 minute. You may have to do this in 2 batches.

Sprinkle and distribute chicken pieces with garlic salt and fry in remaining lard or oil over med. to med.-high heat in a large pot or Dutch oven until well browned.

Strain blended sauce into pot with chicken. Add to pot the reserved whole olives, raisins and almonds, half-can of chilies with juice, and parsley; simmer, covered for 20 mins., or until chicken is tender and sauce has thickened.

Serve over white Oaxaca.