1 whole free-range chicken , butterflied (ask your butcher to do this)
ADOBO-STYLE RECADO
3 ripe plum tomatoes
6 cloves of garlic
2 dried chipotle chillies
4 dried guajillo chillies
4 dried ancho chillies
1 tablespoon dried oregano
10 allspice berries
4 whole cloves
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
100 ml cider vinegar
2 limes
DRUNKEN PINTO BEANS
1 white onion
6 cloves of garlic
2 fresh jalapeño chillies
olive oil
2-3 fresh bay leaves
2 ripe plum tomatoes
2 x 400 g tins pinto beans
1 x 330 ml bottle lager-style or dark Mexican beer, depending on your preference
6 sprigs of fresh coriander
Description
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6.
To make the adobo-style recado, halve and place the tomatoes in a small roasting tray with the unpeeled garlic cloves and roast for 30 minutes or until soft.
Transfer to a plate and allow to cool, then remove the garlic skins.
Place the chipotle, guajillo and ancho chillies in a bowl. Pour over enough boiling water to just cover them and leave for 15 minutes to soak. Drain the chillies in a small colander, reserving the liquid for later.
Place the chillies, garlic, tomatoes, oregano, allspice, whole cloves, cumin seeds, ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of sea salt and some black pepper in a food processor and blend to a paste.
Add the vinegar, lime juice and 6 tablespoons of the reserved liquid and blitz again. Transfer to a large non-reactive bowl.
Place the chicken in the marinade, cover with clingfilm and marinate for 3 to 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature. Preheat a barbecue or cast-iron griddle pan to a medium heat.
Cook the chicken, turning once, for 15 to 20 minutes on each side, occasionally adding some more marinade with a brush during cooking.
Transfer to a board, loosely cover with foil and leave it to rest for a few minutes.
To make the drunken beans, peel and thinly slice the onion and garlic. Deseed and slice the jalapeño chillies.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan over a medium heat, add the onion, garlic, chillies and bay leaves and cook for 5 minutes, or until the onion has softened.
Peel, deseed and chop the tomatoes, then add to the pan with the beans. Stir well, season with salt and black pepper and add the beer.
Stir again, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes while the chicken is cooking. Chop and stir in the coriander leaves and remove the beans from the heat.
Transfer the chicken to a board, chop it up into 6 pieces and divide among serving plates. Serve with the drunken pinto beans.
