Recipe: chicken stew (estofado de pollo)

Chicken Stew (Estofado de Pollo)
5 tablespoons lard or olive oil
2 small onions, chopped
10 small cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3 1/4 pounds tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped
1 (8 to 10 ounce) jar pitted green olives
1/4 pound raisins
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons dried thyme (or substitute oregano)
2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons broken cinnamon sticks
Salt to taste
1/4 pound whole almonds
1 (2 1/2 to 3 pound) chicken, cut into serving pieces
with 3/4 of skin removed
Garlic salt
1/2 (7 ounce) can pickled serrano chiles (or substitute
slightly more canned jalapenos)
1/4 cup parsley, minced

Heat half the fat in large pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook until just soft but not browned. Add tomatoes.

Chop half the olives and raisins (reserving remaining portions), add them to pot and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Add sugar, thyme, cinnamon sticks and salt, and cook 5 minutes; allow to cool.

Meanwhile, boil almonds for 5 to 10 minutes, allow them to cool; remove the skins.

Place cooled sauce mixture and half the almonds in a blender and blend for 1 minute. You may have to do this in 2 batches.

Sprinkle chicken pieces with garlic salt and fry in remaining lard or oil over medium to medium-high heat in a large pot or Dutch oven until well browned.

Strain blended sauce into pot with chicken. Add to pot the reserved whole olives, raisins and almonds, half-can of chilies with juice, and parsley; simmer, covered for 20 minutes, or until chicken is tender and sauce has thickened.

Serve over white Oaxaca.