For the apocalypse, you might prefer something spicier. I pulled out a tomatillo simmer sauce I put up in August and it was delicious– complex and with plenty of zing– but not taking itself terribly seriously.
Tomatillos did not have a good season this year. My vines were torn apart by a summer storm, and the guy at the farmer’s market who is my back-up said he lost his seedlings to a late frost and one day’s inattention. I managed to eek out enough for some fresh salsa and two quarts of the tomatillo sauce. Next year, if all goes well, I hope to can enough to give as Christmas gifts to family.
The recipe is from a book called Well Preserved by Eugenia Bone. I like it because it has recipes that can be used for gifts, and then tells you what to do with the canned goods.
Here is the recipe for the tomatillo sauce:
2 1/2 lbs tomatillos, husked and washed
2 medium mild fresh chiles (I used poblano and Jimmy Nardello, and more than 2)
1 small jalapeno pepper
2 cups chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup bottled lemon juice
2 tsp salt
Blanch the tomatillos in boiling water. Don’t overboil or they will become pale and very mushy. Place them in a food processor and pulse to grind. Place the mild and hot chiles on a baking sheet and broil, turning as they blister. Remove the skins, seed pods, and veins. chop the peppers.
Combine the tomatillos, chiles, onion, garlic, lemon juice and salt in a medium pot and boil gently over medium heat. Then can them in pint jars or freeze in freezer-safe containers.
Mayan Apocalypse Stew (aka, Chicken and Tomatillo Stew)
1 Tbs olive oil
3 lbs chicken thighs or cut up chicken
salt and pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 quart tomatillo sauce
1-2 cups chicken stock (I used a 14 oz can but wish I’d used less as it was a little soupy)
minced fresh cilantro for garnish
Heat oil in a large dutch oven or heavy pan with a lid. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste and brown it in the oil until it is browned all over. Spoon all but a couple Tbs of fat from the bottom of the pan.
Mix the cumin, paprika, lemon zest and cinnamon and stir to coat the chicken. Add the tomatillo sauce and chicken stock. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to medium-low, cover and cook at a low boil for 45 minutes, until chicken is very tender and sauce fragrant. Uncover pot and continue cooking to reduce the sauce. Serve with rice and garnish with cilantro.
I served it over rice with sour cream and corn tortillas, which was fantastic. It’s sort of like a white chili but a lot less work if you have the sauce on hand.