Recipe

Step 1: Place the tomatoes and tomatillos in a medium saucepan and cover with water.* Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until they are mushy but not falling apart and their colour dulls. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a blender or food processor. Cool slightly and then process until smooth.

Step 2: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, 4-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until it becomes fragrant and begins to lightly brown, less than a minute.

Step 3: Carefully pour the puréed tomato-tomatillo mixture into the skillet. It will steam and bubble; that’s okay! Stir in the oregano, marjoram, thyme, salt and pepper. Add the chipotle, if using, and the adobo sauce. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce deepens in colour, becoming a darker and earthier red, and is no longer soupy, 10-12 minutes. You may want to partially cover the skillet, since the sauce will spatter.

Step 4: Add the chicken and the broth to the sauce and toss over the heat until it’s well mixed. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken has absorbed most of the sauce and is moist but not runny, 6-8 minutes more. Serve hot. Can be stored, covered and refrigerated, for up to a week.

*Don’t bother peeling or coring the tomatoes and tomatillos. Simply drop them whole into the pot to cook in simmering water, then transfer them to the blender.

See more recipes from Pati Jinich.

Reprinted with permission from Pati Jinich’s Pati’s Mexican Table (2013 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt).