24 Sept 2013

FAJITAS SPICED CHICKEN

CHICKEN FAJITAS 
 
Love fajitas, chicken, steak, prawn, fine vegetables or a combination of two or three!  This is one of those sharing dinners, with lots of side dishes that allow you to make your fajitas to your own liking, and creates fun conversation over gorgeous food with great people.

 
INGREDIENTS
(serves 4)
4 chicken breasts sliced
1 red pepper sliced
1 green pepper sliced
1 onion sliced
1 chilli sliced
1 lime quartered
16 6" flour tortillas
1 iceberg lettuce fine shredded
chopped tomato and cucumber mixed (salad)
1 pot sour cream
(side dips below)
 
FAJITAS SPICE MIX
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp corn masa flour
1 tsp soft brown sugar
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp chilli pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
pinch of sea salt
4 tbsps of ground nut oil
1 lime juiced
 
Mix or grind all the dry spices together and then add the oil.
 
 
In a bowl add the lemon juice and then your choice of chicken, prawns, steak or fine vegetables and mix well, then add the spices and oil and leave to marinated for a few hours if you can.
 
 
 
FOR THE SALSA
1 tin tomatoes
1 lemon juiced
1 tsp sea salt
2 red chillies
1 lrg tbsp tom puree
20 sprigs of fresh coriander
 
Place all ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth, taste and you can adjust the seasoning with the lemon juice, coriander and salt.  Chill until needed, this is also great as a dip with corn chips.
 
GUACAMOLE
2 ripe avocados
1/2 lemon juiced
1 roasted red pepper fine chopped
1 clove garlic grated
sea salt and black pepper
 
Mix all ingredients together and season to taste with the salt, pepper and lemon, the lemon juice will also help keep the guacamole from oxidising for a while.
 
TO COOK THE FAJITAS
If you have cast iron skillets for serving your fajitas sizzling, place them on your hob now on a medium hot heat.
 
Place all the dips, iceberg lettuce and salad on your table ready to go, along with your plates and cutlery, then pop the flour tortillas in the oven for a couple of minutes to warm up or warm them individually on a dry griddle, place in a flour tortilla warmer or wrap in a tea towel to keep warm.
 
In a hot wok add the marinated chicken and stir fry until 3/4 cooked, let some of the spices just catch, this is known as blackening the spice and is a Cajun cooking method, the trick is to add flavour but not a burnt flavour, add approx 50ml of water this will lift the spices off the bottom of the wok and de-glaze the pan releasing all the flavours back into the fajitas. 
 
Add the peppers and onion and stir through for a couple of minutes, now you are ready to serve.  Place your hot hot hot skillets on their wooden platters and divide your fajitas equally, quickly squeeze a quarter of the lime juice over the chicken as this will add some zing and sizzle to your fajitas platters as your serve.
 
I have a rather set routine when it comes to loading my tortilla, I like to spread a little guacamole and sour cream first, then load with crispy iceberg lettuce and the cucumber and tomato salad, next I add the chicken fajitas, peppers and onions, then drizzle on some salsa, more sour cream and sprinkled with fresh sliced chillies...enjoy.

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