Braised Chicken with Tomatillos

This recipe is delicious and so easy to pull together.  Perfect for late summer when you have run out of tomatillo recipes but still have a mountain of tomatillos.  You can make extra sauce and freeze for later. 

To serve 6
INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons      olive oil
Salt and freshly   ground black pepper

3 1/2 pounds       skin-on, bone in chicken thighs and/or chicken legs

1 large                 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cups                 homemade chicken stock or canned chicken broth

3                          Anaheim or poblano chiles (fresh or canned), roasted, peeled, and finely chopped (in a pinch, 1 or 2 jalapeños will work)
6 cloves               garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds        tomatillos*, husked, rinsed, and quartered 
3 tablespoons      finely chopped cilantro, plus whole leaves for garnish
2 to 3 teaspoons  ground cumin, or to taste
1 tablespoon        fresh lime juice
  

Cooked white rice or warm tortillas (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper the chicken pieces on all sides. Working in batches, sear the chicken until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion to the pan, and cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the stock or broth to the pan, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the roasted chiles, garlic, tomatillos, chopped cilantro, and cumin. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. 

Return the chicken and any juices that’ve collected on the plate to the pan, cover, and simmer, turning once, until the chicken is opaque throughout, 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size and type.

Transfer the chicken to a platter and loosely cover with foil to keep it warm.

Add the lime juice to the sauce remaining in the pan and simmer over medium-high heat until slightly reduced and thickened, 10 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. If a smoother sauce is desired, pulse all or half the sauce in a food processor or blender until the desired consistency is reached.

Meanwhile, shred the chicken, if desired, discarding any skin and bone.

Pour the sauce over the chicken pieces or shredded chicken on the platter and garnish with the whole cilantro leaves. Serve with rice or tortillas on the side.