Chicken, Tomato and Chile Posole

Serves 8

Note: Soak the hominy and beans for this hearty Mexican stew overnight in a pot of cold water, before you start. If you wish, you can take several shortcuts, including using canned hominy (which won’t have quite the same texture and flavor), beans and fireroasted tomatoes, as well as rotisserie chicken.

Hominy and beans:

1½ cups prepared white hominy 1½ cups hearty dried beans, such as pinto or cranberry ¼ large white onion Sea salt 6 peppercorns 1 bay leaf

Charred tomato and chile sauce:

6 dried guajillo or New Mexican chiles, stemmed,

1. Hominy and beans: Place the hominy in a large bowl, add enough cold water to cover by 3 inches and soak overnight. Place the beans in another bowl, add enough cold water to cover by 3 inches and soak overnight.

2. The next day, drain the hominy and transfer to a large stockpot. Add enough fresh cold water to cover by 3 inches and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat, add the ¼ onion and simmer gently for 1½ to 2 hours, until the hominy “pops” or begins to open like a flower. Once the hominy is tender but not soft, transfer it to a colander and drain it over a clean bowl; reserve the cooking water.

3. Meanwhile, drain the beans and transfer them to a second stockpot. Add enough fresh cold water to cover and season with salt. Add the peppercorns and bay leaf and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat and simmer gently for about 30 minutes, or until just tender. Drain beans; discard bay leaf. 4. Tomato-chile sauce: Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat. Using tongs and working with one chile strip at a time, cook the strips for about 30 seconds per side, or until they just start to smoke. Do not overcook. Transfer the chile strips to a bowl, add enough boiling water to cover and let soak for 30 minutes.

5. Heat the broiler. Place the halved lengthwise, and seeded 2 large tomatoes (or 14ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes)

Stew:

3 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium white onion, thinly

sliced 2 large garlic cloves, thinly

sliced ½ cup crushed canned

tomatoes with their juice 2½ teaspoons dried oregano tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and broil, flipping them from side to side, for about 8 minutes, or until the skin is almost totally blackened on all sides. Transfer to a plate and let cool. Core the tomato.

6. Drain the chiles, reserving the soaking water. In a blender, combine the soaked chile strips, ½ cup reserved soaking water and the tomatoes and purée.

7. Stew: In a large stockpot over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the sliced onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 8 minutes, without letting them brown. Add crushed tomatoes, oregano and tomato-chile sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes. Add the cooked hominy and 2 cups of the reserved hominy cooking liquid. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat, add beans and simmer gently for 45 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and simmer for another 5 to 15 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

8. Ladle posole into mugs or bowls and serve with garnishes. or 2 tablespoons fresh, chopped oregano 8 cups homemade chicken stock or canned lowsodium broth 4 cups shredded cooked

chicken Garnishes: Cubed avocado, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, sour cream, pickled radishes (see recipe), corn tortilla strips

Quick Pickled Radishes

2 to 3 large radishes, sliced paper-thin ¼ cup apple cider vinegar ¼ cup water Sea salt, black pepper

1. Place radishes in a nonreactive bowl or glass jar, add vinegar and water, and season with salt and pepper. Make sure the radishes are totally submerged in the liquid and set aside for 10 minutes.

2. Drain and serve with posole or tacos. Pickles can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.