Venezuelan Chocolate Chile Chicken

There are very many versions of chocolate chile chicken, but I chose to include this one as it’s fantastically quick and easy to make. I can’t promise it’s authentic, but it does have the wow factor, and the Venezuelan chocolate adds a deep, rich, glossy finish and flavor.  

• 
  
  4 banana shallots, finely chopped
  
  


• 
  
  2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. light olive oil
  
  


• 
  
  4 organic chicken thighs
  
  


• 
  
  4 organic chicken drumsticks
  
  


• 
  
  Juice and zest of 3 oranges 
  
  


• 
  
  3 fresh red chiles, finely diced
  
  


• 
  
  2 tsp. dried mulato chiles (or any other mild chiles)
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. coriander seeds
  
  


• 
  
  400 grams canned chopped tomatoes
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. dark muscovado sugar
  
  


• 
  
  150 grams Venezuelan dark chocolate, broken into pieces
  
  


• 
  
  Bunch of coriander leaves (about 25 g)
  
  

Heat the oven to 400°F.

In a casserole dish, sauté the shallots and the garlic in the olive oil, then add the chicken pieces and brown on all sides. Add the orange juice and zest, fresh and dried chiles, coriander seeds, tomatoes and sugar and simmer for 5 minutes. Pop on the lid and cook in the oven for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven, lift out the chicken and stir the chocolate into the remaining sauce. Serve with the sauce smothered over the chicken with generous amounts of chopped or torn coriander leaves.

Venezuelan Chocolate Chile Chicken

There are very many versions of chocolate chile chicken, but I chose to include this one as it’s fantastically quick and easy to make. I can’t promise it’s authentic, but it does have the wow factor, and the Venezuelan chocolate adds a deep, rich, glossy finish and flavor.  

• 
  
  4 banana shallots, finely chopped
  
  


• 
  
  2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. light olive oil
  
  


• 
  
  4 organic chicken thighs
  
  


• 
  
  4 organic chicken drumsticks
  
  


• 
  
  Juice and zest of 3 oranges 
  
  


• 
  
  3 fresh red chiles, finely diced
  
  


• 
  
  2 tsp. dried mulato chiles (or any other mild chiles)
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. coriander seeds
  
  


• 
  
  400 grams canned chopped tomatoes
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. dark muscovado sugar
  
  


• 
  
  150 grams Venezuelan dark chocolate, broken into pieces
  
  


• 
  
  Bunch of coriander leaves (about 25 g)
  
  

Heat the oven to 400°F.

In a casserole dish, sauté the shallots and the garlic in the olive oil, then add the chicken pieces and brown on all sides. Add the orange juice and zest, fresh and dried chiles, coriander seeds, tomatoes and sugar and simmer for 5 minutes. Pop on the lid and cook in the oven for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven, lift out the chicken and stir the chocolate into the remaining sauce. Serve with the sauce smothered over the chicken with generous amounts of chopped or torn coriander leaves.

Moroccan-Style Spice Rub

Give your vegetables a Moroccan kick by tossing them with this warm spice mix before roasting. It pairs especially well with sweeter or starchy vegetables such as butternut squash, carrots, cauliflower, parsnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and turnips.

• 
  
  2 tsp. ground cumin
  
  


• 
  
  1 tsp. ground coriander
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 tsp. chili powder
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 tsp. sweet paprika, preferably Hungarian
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  
  


• 
  
  1/4 tsp. ground allspice
  
  


• 
  
  1/4 tsp. ground ginger
  
  


• 
  
  1/8 tsp. cayenne
  
  


• 
  
  Pinch ground cloves
  
  

In a small bowl, mix all of the spices. In addition to the oil, salt, and pepper in the master recipe, toss 1 tsp. of the spice blend with a batch of vegetables before roasting.