Mexican Chicken All-in-One Varoma Meal

Did I tell you I’m American? Yes? No? Can’t remember? Well I am, and to the dismay of my waistline I grew up eating Chilli Con Carne, guacamole, tortilla chips and tacos. I love Mexican food! So I was thrilled when I discovered a pack of Mexican Spice Blend in the samples sent to me by Spice Kitchen UK. While coming up with my recipe for a Mexican Chicken All-in-One Varoma Meal, memories of crunchy tacos overflowing with Mom’s homemade fillings came to mind – especially the lashings of sour cream on top – and the robust yet subtle spices we used to buy in the supermarket in the USA. More than just Chilli powder, a Mexican spice blend has to include things like cumin, oregano, garlic powder and some sort of gentle thickener to keep the tomatoes in the sauce from splitting out into a watery mess. And Spice Kitchen’s Mexican Spice Blend has all that and more.

I first thought I’d make a batch of Chilli Con Carne but I didn’t have any kidney beans. I know, I know, there are two schools of thought on kidney beans in chilli, the With and the Without. But let’s save that discussion for another day, shall we? I’m delighted to share with you a recipe I devised for an All-in-One Varoma Meal using chicken thighs, some peppers/capsicum and Spice Kitchen’s Mexican Spice Blend. And of course, that woefully under-utilised part of the Thermomix, the Varoma steamer. Oh yes, and some rice. You could also add some green beans or some carrot and courgette tagliatelle to round the meal out even further. ThermoHubby John scarfed his down in no time flat, saying that it was “much better than he expected.” Don’t worry, he was also very directly complimentary 😉 We both liked the subtle heat and the lovely cumin flavour coming through and mixing beautifully with the chicken. And by steaming the chicken with the skin, you retain moisture in both the flesh and the skin, and the steamed skin gets wonderfully crispy on the outside yet moist inside. Delicious!

Mexican Chicken All-in-One Varoma Meal
This is a great mid-week family meal that won’t cost an arm and a leg. You can either steam the chicken thighs with their skin and then crisp them up under the grill or remove the skin for a lower fat version that will be just as tasty. To make it go even further, add some more veg such as green beans or carrot and courgette tagliatelli to the Varoma tray during the last 15 minutes of steaming.

Ingredients
1 bunch fresh coriander, leaves only
a pack of chicken thighs, about 1 kg / 2 lbs
a 20-gram pack of Spice Kitchen’s Mexican Spice Blend
2 tbsp. plain flour or rice flour
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 red pepper/capsicum, seeds removed and cut into strips
1 green pepper/capsicum, seeds removed and cut into strips
1 L water (1000 g)
200 g – 400 g basmati or long-grain rice
1 tsp. sea salt
1 or 2 spring onions, sliced thinly
optional: green beans or carrot and courgette tagliatelli

You will also need:
a shallow dish or a plastic bag
a foil-lined baking tray if you crisp the skin under the grill

Method

1. Drop coriander leaves on the running blades of the Thermomix at Speed 6; turn off immediately. Scrape out with spatula and set aside.
2. Place Mexican Spice Blend and your chosen flour into a plastic bag along with the salt and pepper. Add the chicken thighs, close the bag and shake to coat evenly. If you’re using a shallow dish, toss all ingredients (i.e. flour, spice mix, chicken thighs, salt and pepper) in the dish with your hands until evenly coated. Place the coated chicken thighs into the Varoma dish and scatter the strips of red and green peppers/capsicum on top along with about half the chopped coriander. Pop the lid onto the Varoma.
3. Add 1000 g of water to the Thermomix bowl, place the TM lid on top and place the Varoma on the lid. Cook 40 minutes/Varoma setting/Speed 2. (Optional: during this time prepare some green beans or carrot and courgette tagliatelle.)
4. At the end of the cooking time, very carefully remove the Varoma from the Thermomix and set aside. Remove the TM lid and insert the simmering basket. Weigh in the rice and add 1 tsp. of salt. (Optional: add your prepared green beans or carrot and courgette tagliatelle to the Varoma tray and place the tray into the Varoma.) Replace the TM lid and the Varoma. Rinse the rice 10 seconds/Speed 7 and notice the wonderful Soft Start safety feature. Cook another 10 minutes/Varoma setting/Speed 2. Now’s the time to preheat your oven on a high grill setting.
5. After 10 minutes, very carefully remove the Varoma and set it aside on its upturned lid. Take the pepper/capsicum strips from the Varoma and place them on top of the partially-cooked rice in the simmering basket. Finish cooking the rice 10 minutes/Varoma setting/Speed 2.
6. Now place your skin-on chicken thighs onto a foil-lined baking tray and pop them under the grill for 5 minutes or until the spice-coated skin is nice and crispy. You might want to warm some plates in the oven while the chicken is crisping up. (If you have removed the skin from your chicken thighs, set them aside and keep them warm.)
7. At the end of the crisping and cooking time, serve your Mexican Chicken Thighs on top of the fragrant rice and pepper/capsicum strips, along with your optional additional vegetables. Garnish with lots of chopped coriander and spring onion for a lovely, fresh contrast.

Bon appétit !

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Sponsored post: The Mexican Spice Blend used in this recipe was provided by Spice Kitchen UK and it is delicious! 

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