Mayan poultry and lime soup that's popular up and down the Yucatán
What you need
1 to 1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, or corn oil
6 corn tortillas
1 1/4 cup chopped white onion
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 habanero chile, seeded and minced
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground cloves
1 cup (14 oz) canned crushed tomatoes
2 quarts of chicken stock
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds of skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cubed
1/3 cup lime juice
For garnich
1 bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped
2 avocados, pitted, peeled, and roughly chopped
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Place tortillas in a single layer on a baking sheet and heat in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, flipping over after the first 5 minutes. (This will help dry out the tortillas a bit before frying.) Remove from oven. Cut the tortillas into 1/4-inch wide strips.
- Pour oil into a large, thick-bottomed pot to 1/4-inch deep, about 1 to 1 1/2 cups. If a small test piece of tortilla burns or browns too fast, move the pan from heat to let the oil cool a bit before continuing.
- Working in batches, gently scatter a handful of tortilla strips in the hot oil. Turn with metal tongs so that the tortilla strips until the strips just begin to color. Remove them to a paper towel.
- Remove all but two tablespoons of the tortilla frying oil turned on medium high. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, minced habanero, cinnamon, and ground cloves and cook a few minutes longer.
- Add the peeled chopped tomatoes to the onions. Add the stock, oregano, and chicken. Add one teaspoon of salt. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer.
- Cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and shred the chicken.
- Return the chicken to the soup. Stir in the lime juice. Add more salt, if needed, to taste.
Serve garnished with fried tortilla strips, chopped avocado, and cilantro.