Pollo Pibil (Pit-Smoked Chicken in Annatto Marinade)
Pollo Pibil (Pit-Smoked Chicken in Annatto Marinade) is a traditional Mexican recipe for a dish of chicken covered in a recado rojo based sauce that's part smoked and part steamed. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic South American dish of: Pollo Pibil.
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The authentic version of this dish is cooked in a smoking pit dug into the earth. This version, however, lets you create your own stove-top smoker. The meat is cooked in a combination of smoke and steam which makes the resultant dish succulent and flavoursome. This recipe originates in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico.
Ingredients:
4l water
100g salt
80g sugar
5 whole allspice berries
1 tsp black peppercorns
10 chicken breast halves (preferably on the bone and with the skin)
8 tbsp Recado Rojo (Red Achiote) paste
120ml Seville orange juice (or a mix of 60ml lime juice, 30ml orange juice, 30ml grapefruit juice)
1 tbsp Mexican coriander leaves
1 tsp toasted cumin seeds
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp sea salt
banana leaves (trimmed into rectangles about 30 x 45cm) [or greaseproof paper]
2 gren bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 large ripe tomatoes, sliced
1 bunch epazote leaves, separated into individual leaves
2 tbsp wood chips for smoking (preferably containing mesquite)
Method:
Add the water to a large bowl and dissolve the salt and sugar. Meanwhile, crush the allspice berries and the peppercorns with a pestle and mortar then add to the water along with the chicken. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 5 hours (preferably over night). After brining the chicken should be rinsed under cold running water before being patted dry.
When the chicken is dry combine the recado rojo with the Seville orange juice (add just enough juice to obtain the consistency of double cream). Meanwhile grind the Mexican coriander, cumin seeds, and black peppercorns to a powder. Add the garlic and sea salt and pound or grind to a smooth paste. Add this to the recado rojo mixture and stir to combine. Arrange the chicken in a dish and pour the marinade over the top. Ensure you turn each chicken piece to make certain they're completely covered. Cover and set aside for 1 hour.
Place each piece of chicken breast in the centre of a banana leaf. Garnish with slices of vegetables and epazote leaves. Wrap the banana leaf around the chicken to completely cover it and secure with cocktail sticks or kitchen twine. They can be stored in the refrigerator over night, if desired, but are better if cooked immediately.
To smoke the chicken breast you will need a large cast-iron pot, roasting pan or Dutch oven (with a lid) on the hob (the temperature will be very hot so do not use enamelled or coated cookware). Cover the entire pot with at least two complete layers of aluminium foil (make certain that at least 15cm of foil extend outside the pot).
Using a sharp knife cut a small hole about 5cm in diameter in the centre of the pot's base so that the bottom is exposed. Place a trivet or a 25cm cake rack in the bottom of the pot. This should fit as snugly as possible and if using a cake rack use balls of foil to raise it some 4cm off the bottom of the pot.
Remove the trivet and place the pot on the stove at the highest possible temperature. Allow to pot to heat up for 10 minutes. In the meanwhile cover the entire lid of the pan with foil, crimping it close to the surface of the lid. When the pot is very hot mound the wood chips in the centre of the pan (where you tore away the foil). Add the trivet or cake rack on top then place the banana leaf packets on top (make certain that they do not touch the sides of the pot and have plenty of space around them for the air to circulate).
Secure the lid and crimp the pieces of foil that extend out of the pot over the lid to seal everything securely. Allow to smoke for about 45 minutes then take off the heat. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, remove the lid then allow to stand for 10 minutes more before serving.
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