Food Recipes Chicken in Peanut Sauce (Pollo Encacahuetado) Be the first to rate & review! When Mexicans want to say "I couldn't care less," they'll remark "Me importa un cacahuete"—I couldn't care a peanut. The expression obviously does not refer to food, because peanuts are prized all over Mexico, especially in Veracruz. Amazing Chicken Recipes By Zarela Martinez Zarela Martinez Zarela Martinez is a Mexican chef, author, restaurateur, food television host, and product developer. She and her son, celebrity chef Aarón Sánchez, host the podcast Cooking in Mexican from A to Z.Expertise: Mexican regional cuisines.Experience: Mexican-born Zarela Martinez rewrote the story of Mexican cuisine in the U.S. when she opened her game-changing New York City restaurant Zarela in 1987. This legendary dining spot replaced ignorant culinary stereotypes with brilliant, fearless explorations of regional Mexican specialties embedded in their own distinctive contexts. Zarela is the author of Food from My Heart, The Food and Life of Oaxaca, and Zarela's Veracruz, which was also the companion to a 13-part PBS television series. In 2013 she was inducted into the James Beard Foundation's Who's Who of Food and Beverage in America. In the same year, Harvard's Schlesinger Library acquired her unpublished papers, an invaluable documentation of a lifetime dedicated to enlightening food-lovers everywhere about Mexican cuisine and culture. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 14, 2015 Rate Print Share Yield: 4 Ingredients 2 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded Boiling water 1 cup raw peanuts, shelled and skinned (4 ounces) 2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped 1 hard roll, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 small onion, coarsely chopped 2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon 1 teaspoon salt One 3 1/2 -pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces 1/3 cup vegetable oil 2 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth 1/2 cup dry red wine 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar Directions Soak the ancho chiles in boiling water until softened, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large deep skillet, toast the peanuts over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool. Drain the anchos and transfer to a blender. Add the peanuts, tomatoes, hard roll, onion, chipotles, garlic and sugar and puree until smooth. Combine the cinnamon and salt and sprinkle all over the chicken. Heat the oil in the large skillet until shimmering. Add half of the chicken and cook over moderately high heat until golden, about 6 minutes per side; transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the oil from the skillet. Add the peanut sauce and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until very thick, about 15 minutes. Add the chicken stock, wine and vinegar and bring to a simmer. Nestle the pieces of chicken in the sauce and simmer over moderately low heat, turning occasionally, until cooked through, about 25 minutes. Make Ahead The chicken can be refrigerated for up to 2 days ahead. Suggested Pairing The spicy, earthy peanut sauce suggests a California Zinfandel to match. Originally appeared: April 2000 Rate It Print