INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

From "The Food and Life of Oaxaca" (Macmillan, $32.50) by Zarela
Martinez. Make this dish in a Mexican lidded clay casserole or an
old-fashioned American Dutch oven.  Grate the chocolate on a
straight-sided grater; set aside.  Season the chicken with salt and
pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat  the oil over medium-high heat
until not quite smoking. Lightly brown  the chicken, allowing about 3
minutes per side. Remove from the pan  and set aside. Pour off and
discard all but 2 tablespoons of fat from  the pan; set the pan aside.
Place the sesame seeds in a medium skillet over medium heat. Toast
just until golden, stirring constantly or shaking the pan.  Immediately
scrape out the seeds into a small bowl before they darken  and
overcook.  Heat a heavy ungreased griddle or cast-iron skillet over
medium low  heat until a drop of water sizzles on contact. Place the
tomatoes  (stem side down), the unpeeled onions and individual unpeeled
garlic  cloves on a griddle. Cook, turning frequently, until the
tomatoes are  blackened all over and the onion and garlic are somewhat
softened,  about 15 to 20 minutes for the tomatoes, 20 to 25 minutes
for the  onions and 8 minutes for the garlic. Remove the tomatoes,
onions and  garlic from the griddle; when cool enough to handle, peel
them over a  bowl to catch the juices.  Place the roasted tomatoes,
onions, garlic and toasted sesame seeds  in a blender with the herbs
and spices and process until smooth. Over  medium high heat, reheat the
reserved fat in the Dutch oven until  rippling. Add the pureed mixture
and bring to a boil, stirring  frequently to keep it from spattering.
Add the chocolate and stir  well to combine. Lower the heat and simmer,
covered, stirring  occasionally, for 15 minutes. Thin with some chicken
stock if the  sauce has gotten too thick. Return chicken pieces to the
Dutch oven.  Add apple wedges and plaintain rounds, spacing them
evenly. Scatter  almonds over the top. Cover and cook over medium heat
until the  chicken is tender, about 20 minutes. Alternately, you can
transfer  the dish to a lidded casserole and bake it in a pre-heated
350-degree  oven for 35 to 40 minutes.  Posted to CHILE-HEADS DIGEST by
Judy Howle <howle@ebicom.net> on Jan  09, 1999, converted by MM_Buster
v2.0l.

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