Recipes » Yucatecan »  Sopa de Lima

Ingredients

• BROTH:
• 1 head garlic, separated, unpeeled
• 1 8 oz. white onion, unpeeled
• 1 3 1/2 lb. chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• 4 quarts water
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tsp. allspice berries
• 8 cloves
• 1/2 tsp. anise seeds
• 1 tsp. cumin (roasted/ground)
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 2 culantro leaves, or 4 cilantro sprigs

 

• SOUP:
• 1 habanera chile
• 2 tbsp. corn oil
• 1 8 oz. white onion, finely chopped
• 2 (6oz) plum tomatoes, finely chopped
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 limes or 1 bitter orange, seeded, cut in thin slices
• 4 corn tortillas for garnish
• 1/4 cup corn oil for frying

Preparation

Make the Broth:

Roast the garlic cloves and onion on a Comal or grill until dark. 8 minutes.
Roast the habanera until lightly charred.
Peel the garlic and onion.

Stew pot: chicken pieces, water, garlic and onion, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, anise seeds, cumin, oregano, and culantro or cilantro. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, covered, until reduced by 1/2, about 1 1/2 hours.
Strain out the broth, set chicken aside. Return the broth to the pot.

When chicken cools, shred the breast meat save or use the rest.
Seed and fine chop the Habanera. Set aside.

Make the Soup:

Small skillet: heat the oil until rippling. Add the chopped onion and sauté till soft; 3-5 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes, and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the roasted chopped Habanero and the salt.
Scrape this mixture into the broth and add the lime or orange slices and the shredded chicken.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the lime/orange.

Cut the tortillas into 1/4 inch strips. Heat the 1/4 cup corn oil in a skillet until it ripples. Add the tortilla strips in batches and fry, stirring, until golden. Drain on paper towels.