Posole

Lovely Fiance popped through DC on a business trip.  He picked up some hominy on his way out!  Hominy is corn kernels which have the outer skin removed.  Treat 'em like beans: soak overnight and cook for a few hours.  They swell up and "pop" during cooking.  These corny flowers are the basis of a Mexican soup called posole.  This is a comforting, chunky broth which is made by the spices you put in it and the toppings you stir into it just before eating.  Chilis give heat, while coriander and sour cream or chunks of feta cool it back down.  Tortilla strips flashed in the oven add a crunch on top of the shredded chicken and savory corn kernels.  It's good comfort food for a cold day.  You know, when the weather's below 25 degrees.  (75 Fahrenheit!)

We're in the break between rainy seasons, so we haven't had many downpours lately but we've still got clouds and lovely cool breezes every day.  We don't need to turn on the A/C, even during the day; we just open a window if we're feeling really warm.  And some days, I even wear 3/4 sleeves.

This recipe makes a pretty blazing bowl of soup.  Tone down the chilis if you want.  It was much milder the next day, and adding in some cream can help too.  Of course, you can skip both the cream and the chicken if you want a vegan or vegetarian recipe.  It's all good.  Fiance and I barely even followed any recipe and were quite happy with our results.

That chili in the photo is just for garnish.  Don't eat it.  Same goes for the lime.

Posole semi-rojo

loosely adapted from 101 Cookbooks and the posole package.

prep time: overnight
cook time: 3 hours

ingredients:

200g dried hominy (posole)
2 liters water
2 dried ancho chili peppers 
2 bay leaves
1/2 white onion, diced
2 medium cloves garlic, smashed and diced
1 chicken breast (optional)
20g ground chili (as opposed to chili powder, which contains other ingredients)
2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp chicken stock (mix)
salt and pepper to taste

for the garnishes:
2 tbsp cilantro (coriander leaves), roughly chopped
tortilla strips, recipe follows
limes, halved
sour cream or crumbled cheese (chevre, feta, cotija)

directions:

Soak the corn overnight in plenty of water.

In a large pot, bring 2 liters of salted water to the boil.  Add posole, onion, garlic, bay leaves and dried chilis.  Keep on a low boil for 2 hours, until most of the kernels have "flowered."  Add more boiling water as needed to keep the kernels under 3 inches of water.

Add chicken breast and spices/herbs.  Return to a low boil for 30 minutes.  Remove the chicken and shred using 2 forks.  Return to pot and adjust seasonings to taste.

While the chicken is simmering, chop the cilantro, crumble the cheese and make the tortilla strips. 

tortilla strips:
1 flour tortilla
olive oil
cumin and paprika

Brush tortilla with olive oil.  Sprinkle with a dash of cumin and paprika.  Julienne it: roll it up and cut into thin slices.  Toss into preheated oven (300F) for 5-10 minutes until tortilla strips are golden and crispy.  Allow to cool.

To assemble the posole:

Spoon the soup into bowls.  Lay out the cheese/cream, cilantro, tortilla strips and lime on the table.  Diners may garnish as they choose.