Chicken Tinga
Ingredients:
 1 pound chicken breasts, bone-in, skin removed
 1 bay leaf
 1 small unpeeled clove garlic, plus 1 clove minced garlic, divided
 1/4 small white onion, plus 1 cup chopped white onion, divided, plus thin white onion slices for
serving (see note)
 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
 4 tomatoes (about 1 pound), cored, seeded and chopped
 4 teaspoons minced chipotle peppers in adobo (see note), plus more adobo sauce for serving
 1/4 teaspoon Mexican oregano
 1/3 cup Orange juice
 2 tablespoons Achiote paste
 12 packaged tostadas, or corn tortillas cooked until crisp
 1 cup Mexican crema
 1 avocado, sliced into slivers
 1/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese
 Salt
Instructions:
1. In a large saucepan, place the chicken breasts and add enough water to cover.
2. Add the bay leaf, unpeeled garlic clove and small chunk of onion and bring to a boil.
3. Cover and remove from heat. Set the pan aside until the chicken has cooked all the way
through, about 20 minutes.
4. Remove the chicken to a bowl, and set aside until cool enough to handle, then shred the
meat with your fingers or a fork.
5. In a skillet heated over medium-high heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the chopped
onion and cook until translucent, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes.
6. Stir in the minced garlic and cook until aromatic, 15 to 30 seconds.
7. Add the tomato, cooking until pieces break down and become a thick, chunky paste, about 5
minutes.
8. Stir in the shredded chicken, then add the chipotle, oregano and chicken broth, and season
with three-fourths teaspoon salt, or to taste.
9. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer about 10 minutes to thicken slightly
and marry the flavors. Taste, and add more salt if desired.
This makes about 2 cups of tinga de pollo.
Serving Information:
To serve the tostadas, slather a thin layer of crema on each tortilla. (For more amped-up chipotle
flavor, mix a little of the adobo sauce in the crema.) Add a few spoonfuls of tinga, the slices of white
onion and two slivers of avocado. Top with crumbled cotija cheese.
Note: In Mexico City, you can find chipotles in a spicy-sweet piloncillo adobo, which is what is used
here. If you're using a different variety, start with one teaspoon and work your way up.
Before serving, soak the thin white onion slices in cold water at least 15 minutes.