A tangy dressing flavors this recipe for Mex-Italian Chicken Thighs with Roasted Tomatillos

My kids love this dish from my cookbook ”Familia” because of the crispy chicken skin. You are essentially creating a confit where the chicken cooks in its own fat.

The flavor comes from the smoky and tangy dressing, which you don’t have to make in a molcajete, but if you have one please use it. The magic of the molcajete, a pre-Hispanic mortar and pestle, is its ability to extract oils in a way the blades of a food processor can’t. With the molcajete, flavors are deeper and richer, and the texture is superior as well.

The roasted tomatillos are the perfect counterpoint to the succulent and juicy chicken. When picking your tomatillos, go for a medium size and look for smooth pieces with no cracks or bruises. The bigger ones are too bitter, and the smaller ones burn quickly.

Mex-Italian Chicken Thighs with Roasted Tomatillos

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

6 bone-in chicken thighs with skin

3/4 cup Mex-Italian Dressing, or purchased Italian dressing

2 pounds medium tomatillos, husks removed, very well rinsed

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon any garlicky-citrusy seasoning you like

Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Place the chicken thighs in a large resealable plastic bag, add the dressing, and toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature for an hour, moving the thighs occasionally to make sure they are evenly covered in the marinade.

Preheat the oven to 475°F. Toss the tomatillos with the olive oil, seasoning, salt, and pepper and transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until browned and caramelized, about 30 minutes.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Remove the thighs from their bag, shaking off as much of the marinade as possible. Add all the thighs to the skillet, skin side down, and cook until browned, about 12 minutes. It’s important that the thighs are snug as a bug as they will create steam and moisture and won’t brown too much. Transfer the skillet to the oven and continue to cook, skin side down, 7 minutes longer. Remove the skillet from the oven and carefully flip the chicken skin side up. Return the skillet to the oven and continue to cook for 10 minutes, or until fully cooked.

Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Transfer to a platter, surround with the roasted tomatillos, and serve.

Mex-Italian Dressing

Makes 1 ½ cups

Ingredients

5 garlic cloves, unpeeled

2 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed

½ teaspoon black peppercorns

½ teaspoon coriander seeds

Flaky sea salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup red wine vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Heat a comal or large cast-iron skillet over very high heat. Add the unpeeled garlic and toast until blackened, about 5 minutes. Add the guajillos, peppercorns, and coriander seeds and toast until fragrant, about 2 minutes, moving them constantly.

Peel the garlic and place in a molcajete. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and mash to a paste. It will seem like it’s all stuck to the walls of the molcajete, but that’s OK! Add the toasted peppercorns and coriander, then mash. Add the toasted chiles and mash them against the walls of the molcajete until disintegrated. Add all the remaining ingredients, except the olive oil, vinegar, and black pepper, and mash into the paste.

Add 1⁄3 cup of the olive oil and stir/mash to slowly create a dressing. Gradually add the remaining oil. Scrape into a bowl and whisk in the vinegar. Season to taste with additional salt and black pepper.

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Marcela Valladolid is an Emmy-nominated celebrity chef, television personality, designer, author, mother and businesswoman. She is the founder and CEO of the artisanal Mexican housewares brand Casa Marcela, Inc., and the author of six cookbooks.

Excerpted from FAMILIA by Marcela Valladolid. Copyright (copyright) 2023 by Marcela Valladolid. Used with permission of Voracious, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company. New York, New York. All rights reserved.