Chicken Legs with Achiote Garlic Sauce

Chicken Legs with Achiote Garlic Sauce

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Description

This dish, flavored with achiote seeds, garlic, and spices, is based on chicken pibil, from Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. Traditionally, the chicken is baked in banana leaves, but here we've used collard leaves because they are more readily available. They add moisture and a bit of flavor but do not get tender enough to eat.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon achiote (annatto) seeds*
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon whole allspice
1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
4 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
4 small whole chicken legs (1 3/4 lb total), separated into thighs and drumsticks
6 to 8 large collard leaves, stems trimmed flush with leaves
Accompaniments: 2 cups cooked white rice; pickled onions
Special equipment: a 24- by 18-inch sheet of heavy-duty foil; an electric coffee/spice grinder

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Toast seeds, spices, and oregano together in a dry heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Cool slightly, then finely grind mixture in grinder.
  3. Mince garlic and mash to a paste with salt using a large heavy knife, then transfer to a large bowl and whisk in ground spices, juices, and oil.
  4. Remove skin and all visible fat from chicken, then add chicken to juice mixture and turn to coat.
  5. Lay foil loosely on top of a 13- by 9-inch baking dish and arrange collard leaves, overlapping, to create a 14-inch round in center of foil. Press foil and leaves loosely into dish to form a well, then mound chicken with sauce in well and fold collards over chicken to enclose. Wrap collard package snugly in foil, crimping edges to seal completely.
  6. Transfer foil package from baking dish directly to rack in middle of oven and bake until chicken is cooked through, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.
  7. Transfer foil package to a serving dish, then open foil. (If desired, carefully pull out foil from under collard package.) Open collards and serve chicken with rice and pickled onions.

Tags

    Chicken Citrus Garlic Bake Low Fat Healthy Collard Greens Seed Gourmet
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