Pozole Blanco

P O Z O L E : One of the more famous Mexican dishes, Pozole is actually a pre-hispanic Central American stew that was just as sacred 3,000 years ago as it is today, where it's typically eaten to celebrate birthdays, christmas, and other holidays. There are three varieties of pozole: red, white, and green, each with a unique mix of chiles and herbs. Yet the base remains the same: a rich broth of pork or chicken and hominy, or puffed corn.

This recipe shares our host family's traditional way of making Pozole Blanco, or white pozole. Simmering in chicken broth with hints of oregano and thyme, the dense puffs of hominy cook for about an hour and a half until soft, then the chicken breast is shredded and added back in. This is dish is known for its myriad of toppings, including sliced radishes, finely diced onions, shredded lettuce, oregano, lime, avocado, and a spicy salsa. And of course, you can't eat pozole without tostadas (those big round tortilla chips) on the side, which are simple and blanketed with crema and shredded queso fresco.

Serves 10-12

Ingredients:

(Pozole)

1kg chicken breast

2kg hominy (in cans or in bags, depending on how you find it)

1 large white onion, quartered

1 head of garlic

Salt, to taste

1 tbs oregano

1 tbs thyme, stems removed

(Toppings)

Limes

Shredded lettuce

Radishes, sliced

Oregano

Salsa de chile de árbol

White onion, finely diced

Avocado, sliced

(Tostadas)

1-2 bags of tostadas (depends how many you want to eat :) )

4 cups Mexican Crema (if you can’t find Mexican crema, mix 2 cups heavy cream, 2 cups sour cream, and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Cover and let sit at room temperature a few hours before serving).

4 cups shredded queso fresco

Directions:

1. In a large pot, cover hominy with water and bring to a boil.

2. When the water’s boiling, put chicken breasts in the pot and add 20 cups of water.

3. In a blender or food processor, blend onion and garlic with a few tablespoons of water until liquid. Add to pot.

4. Add 2 tablespoons of salt to pot.

5. Place oregano and thyme in a cheesecloth, tie it closed, and place in the pot. (If you don’t have a cheesecloth, a thin cotton rag or tea-infuser ball will do!)

6. Bring to boil and leave for 1.5 hours.

7. Remove chicken breasts from pot and, using your hands or a fork, pull the meat into small shreds.

8. Put the shredded chicken back in the pot.

9. Boil for another 20 minutes.

10. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Ladle into bowls and enjoy with assorted fix-ins and tostadas :)