Yucatán Lime and Chicken Soup

This is a recipe from Patricia Quintana, the great Mexican chef. Janette and I visited her restaurant, Izote, in Mexico City when we went in 2006. I still want to track down a recipe for the phenomenal ancho chiles stuffed with foie gras that we had there.  Lord have mercy, was that good!

We made this soup at our anniversary dinner, with Chris & Lena, Angel & Ryan, and Alex & Gloria.  Freshly roasted tomatoes were used to make the base of this simple chicken soup. Garnished with cilantro from our garden, it had a clean, fresh taste, with some nice richness at the same time. The lime makes it bright.  

In winter, tomatoes are often dry and flavorless, but they will ripen a bit if left out at room temperature for a few days. If you can, plan ahead and buy the tomatoes 2 to 3 days in advance of making this recipe. In summer, of course, just buy the best tomatoes you can find.  You could also substitute a pound and a half of cherry tomatoes, which are tasty all year. When roasting the smaller tomatoes, check them after 10 minutes. They will blacken faster than the regular tomatoes.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 medium tomatoes
  
• 1 large white onion, unpeeled, plus 1/2 cup minced onion, for garnish
  
• 21 garlic cloves, peeled (2 heads)
  
• 3 whole chicken breasts on the bone (about 1 1/4 pounds each)
  
• 3 quarts chicken stock, low-sodium broth or water
  
• 2 limes, zest finely grated and limes halved, plus wedges for serving
  
• 20 allspice berries
  
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican, plus more for sprinkling
  
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
  
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  
• 6 large scallions, minced
  
• Twelve 6-inch corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
  
• 2 banana chiles or jalapeños, seeded and minced
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 500°F. Arrange the tomatoes on a small rimmed baking sheet. Set the unpeeled onion in a pie plate with 6 of the garlic cloves. Roast the vegetables on the top rack of the oven until blackened on top and tender, about 10 minutes for the garlic, 20 for the tomatoes and 30 for the onion. Let cool slightly, then cut the onion in half. Press the tomatoes through a coarse strainer. 
   
2. In a large saucepan, cover the chicken breasts with the stock. Add the lime zest and lime halves, allspice, oregano, the remaining 15 garlic cloves and a pinch each of salt and pepper and bring to a boil over moderately high heat. Add the roasted onion, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. 
   
3. Transfer the chicken to a platter and let cool. Gently simmer the broth for 10 minutes, then strain. Wipe out the saucepan. Remove the chicken from the bones and tear it into thick shreds. 
   
4. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in the saucepan. Add the scallions and roasted garlic; mash the cloves to a paste with a fork. Cook over moderately high heat until the scallions are browned, 4 minutes. Add the strained tomatoes and simmer until the fat separates from the sauce, about 5 minutes. Add the strained broth and bring to a boil; reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 
   
5. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 cup of oil until shimmering. Add one-fourth of the tortilla strips and fry over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and season with salt. Repeat with the remaining tortilla strips, lowering the heat if the oil gets too hot. 
   
6. Add the chicken to the broth and cook until heated through. Ladle the soup into bowls, top with the tortilla strips and sprinkle with oregano. Serve, passing lime wedges, minced onion and banana chiles at the table.
   

MAKE AHEAD

The chicken soup can be prepared through Step 5 up to 1 day ahead. Refrigerate the shredded chicken and broth separately. Keep the fried tortilla strips in an airtight container.

Wine Notes

A chardonnay will do well with this, but a riesling might fit better with the lime (and be especially nice if the soup turns out spicy).  The real hit, though, would be a rosé.  We served this with a 2006 Vines On The Marycrest Rosé, which featured nice grapefruit citrus, as well as pomegranate and strawberry.