Name: Mexican chicken adobo
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 4 dried chipotle chillies; 8-10 tomatoes; 75ml apple cider vinegar; 5 cloves garlic; 2 tbsp soft light brown sugar; 1 tsp black peppercorns; 1 tsp ground cumin; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; 4 chicken legs; salad, to serve

A baking tray topped with chicken legs coated in a brown sauce

4 dried chipotle chillies
8-10 tomatoes
75ml apple cider vinegar
5 cloves garlic
2 tbsp soft light brown sugar
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground cinnamon
4 chicken legs
salad
to serve

Method

step 1
Put the chipotle chillies in a bowl, cover with enough just-boiled water to cover, and leave for 30 minutes to rehydrate. Remove, reserving the soaking water, and remove the seeds. Put all of the ingredients, except the chicken, plus 1 tsp of salt, into a blender or food processor, and add the soaking water and blend until completely smooth. Pour into a pan and bring to a boil. Let it reduce for 15-20 minutes, until it is the consistency of ketchup – stir every 5 minutes to stop it sticking. Take off the heat and leave to cool, then pour into a sterilised jar. It will keep for a month in the fridge.
step 2
This is the perfect marinade for meat before putting it on the BBQ or cooking in the oven. Put the chicken legs in a bowl with enough adobo to coat them, then massage well and chill for at least an hour but preferably overnight.
step 3
Grill the chicken on the BBQ until cooked through, brushing with plenty of adobo as it cooks, or heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/ gas 6 and roast the chicken for 40-45 minutes until caramelised and cooked through, brushing with sauce every 10-15 minutes. Serve with a salad.
step 4
Alternatively, for a vegan take on tacos al pastor, thinly slice some celeriac and brush some adobo on each slice. Layer the slices on a skewer, lay flat on a roasting tin and cook at 200C/ fan 180C/gas 6 for 1 hour until caramelised and the celeriac is meltingly tender. Remove, slice and serve on corn tortillas.