It’s a soggy, soppy, cool, crisp morning here in our little corner of the world. It has been raining all night, a soft, steady rain that we seldom see here. The radiation fog is playfully blowing in and out through the mountains.

This is the first day in a very long time that I had to put on long pants and a sweatshirt, although I still have my flip flops on and the front and back doors open.

I believe I have made the transition from summer to fall, starting this morning, because I want to go to the kitchen and make a big pot of Chicken Tortilla Stew! If you have the time, I highly suggest giving this one a try. It is, in a word, fantastic!

CHICKEN TORTILLA STEW

1 whole chicken

3 lg onions 2 chopped, 1 cut in wedges
2 carrots, rough chop

3 celery stalks, halved
12 garlic cloves, chopped, divided

salt & pepper
1 bay leaf

2 jalapeno peppers
4 Tbs olive oil, divided

1 Tbs cumin
½ Tbs coriander

1 bag corn tortilla strips or chips
1-28 oz can hominy, drain, rinse

1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

avocado to taste
2 plum tomatoes, halved

8 to 10 tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed
Juice of 2 limes (microwave 10 sec. to get juice)
Sour cream for garnish

Preheat broiler to high.
Add the chicken, 1 chopped onion, carrots, celery, tomatoes, 8 cloves of garlic with the skin on, salt and pepper, and the bay leaf to a large pot and cover with cold water, 2 to 3 inches above the chicken & veggies. Bring to a bubble and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 30-40 minutes. The chicken is done when the leg is loose and wiggles easily on the bone.

Remove chicken and place it on a plate. It will be very tender so break out all the utensils to grab it form the pot. Discard the skin and remove all of the chicken from the bones and reserve. A bowl of ice water on your countertop to dunk your hands into every now and then makes it easier to work with the hot chicken. Place the bones back in the pot of liquid and veggies to make a stock. Simmer for 1 hour.

While the stock mixture is simmering, chop the chicken meat and set aside. After an hour, strain the stock, keeping the liquid and discarding the solids.

While the stock is simmering, place the tomatillos, jalapenos, and the onion cut into wedges on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 Tbs olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Broil for 2-3 minutes to char, then turn everything over to char the other side. Once black all over, seed and stem the jalapenos, and chop them along with the onion and tomatillos. Reserve.
Place large pot over medium high heat, add 2 turns of the pan with olive oil. Add remaining chipped onion, chopped garlic, cumin and coriander, and cook until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add the reserved chopped onion, tomatillo and jalapenos and the strained stock, and bring to a bubble.

While mixture is coming to a bubble, crush the tortilla chips (reserving a handful for garnish). You should have about 2 cups of ground chips. Add to the pot and cook for 30 minutes. When ready to serve, add the hominy and chopped chicken back to the pot along with ½ to ¾ cup of cilantro and lime juice, and cook for 2-3 more minutes, until the chicken is heated through.

Garnish with tortilla chips, a dollop of sour cream, cheddar cheese, and avocado. You’re gonna love it!