This month, Maestra Manuela, homestay mom from la familia Cruz Balam, shares her Pollo Adobado recipe with us. Pollo Adobado, or Majkumil Kaax in Maya, translates to marinated chicken and is a popular, regional cuisine of Quintana Roo.When we asked the Cruz Balam family why they chose this recipe to share they said “First off, because it reminds us of the students who have stayed with us and they have enjoyed it. We remember the stories we shared, the laughter and the conversations we had. And, among the comments, they told us that this was delicious and was one of their favorite dishes. It’s easy to prepare and is a part of our regional cuisine.”INGREDIENTS:

• 1 chicken cut into pieces

• 2 bags of 100 gr of ‘recado rojo’ paste (Made from achiote. Achiote, is a natural dye used widely as food. It’s extracted from the seeds of the evergreen achiote bush, also known as the ‘lipstick tree’, and is native to tropical America.)

• Juice of 5 sour oranges (or 6 juicy limes if you can’t find sour oranges)

• 2 banana leaves

• 2 medium red onions, diced

• 2 oregano leaves

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Water for boiling

PREPARATION:

• Wash the chicken and if you like, rinse it with lime juice.

• In a small bowl, mix the recado rojo in the juice of 4 of the sour oranges or 5 of the limes and pour the mixture through a sieve to remove any large pieces that didn’t dissolve.

• In a large pot, marinate the chicken in the mixture for 15 minutes.

• On medium heat, cook the chicken for about 20 minutes adding the salt and pepper.

• Finally, add enough water so it covers most of the chicken (approximately 350 ml).

• Cover it all with the clean banana leaves

• Cover the pot and let it cook for about 40 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked.

• Serve with a side of white rice, pickled red onion, and hot tortillas.

To make the pickled onion:

• In a bowl, place the diced red onions

• Add the juice of the last sour orange or lime

• Add salt and habanero chile to taste.

• Mix and serve!

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The best way to experience the Mexican lifestyle is in person, with a Na’atik Immersion experience. Not only do you live with a local Mexican-Maya family, sharing home-cooked meals and free time, but also receive expert instruction in your chosen language at our school. Best of all, every immersion experience helps fund our subsidized and free local education program, helping local students to access opportunities and make their own futures.