We love tacos and definitely don’t make them as often as we should. We’re lucky to have a local Mexican shop, Picado, who make proper corn tortillas, though tortillas from the supermarket will be good too.
Wine Suggestion: This goes great with a medium bodied, juicy red, like Adi Badenhorst’s Secateurs Red. A blend of Syrah, Grenache and a little Cinsault we find this always has a charming depth and persistence, despite the lowly price point.
Chicken tinga tacos – serves 5 to 6
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2½ tsp dried oregano
- 250ml chicken stock
- 80g chipotle in adobo with sauce, finely chopped
- 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1½ tsp salt
- 750g chicken thigh fillets
- 20 x small corn tortillas, warmed
- coriander leaves, roughly chopped (to serve)
- guacamole (to serve)
FOR THE LIME CREAM:
- ¼ tsp finely grated garlic
- 100g sour cream
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tsp lime zest
- 2 tsp lime juice
- ¼ tsp salt
Make the lime cream by combining all the ingredients in a bowl and mixing well. Place in the fridge until ready to serve.
Heat the oil in a large pot over a hith heat, then add the garlic, onion and oregano and cook for 3 minutes or until the onions are browning at the edges.
Add all the rest of the ingredients, except the chicken. Stir well, then add the chicken in a single layer and submerge in the sauce. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer very gently for one hour, uncovered, stirring occasionally. The chicken should be soft and easy to shred.
Transfer the chicken to a large, deep, baking tray and shred with two forks. Meanwhile keep the sauce simmering on a low heat for another 10 minutes until quite thick. Return the shredded chicken to the sauce and toss to coat.
Serve the tinga with the warmed tortillas, coriander leaves, guacamole and lime cream.
(Original recipe from Recipetin Eats Dinner by Nagi Maehashi, Pan Macmillan, 2022.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 