I’ve been doing a lot of recipe development jobs lately. Things I never post on my blog, and because I’m under a contract, I am not allowed to disclose the company anywhere. This job has taken up a lot of my free time, but has also taught me a great deal of techniques and has seriously pushed me to venture into a side of cooking that I had rarely visited in the past. I’ve come to realize from the recipes I’ve come up with, that I am especially good at making fusion dishes. Melding my all American girl tastes with my East Los Angeles Mexican girl tastes. The results have been close to sublime, for my palate at least.

My fiance’s cousins are here visiting from Mexicali, Mexico and I didn’t want to make them Mexican food (they eat that all the time), but I wanted to make them something slightly spicy delicious. I decided to revert to what I do best and make them a fusion dish.

Walmart had a beautiful display of tomatoes calling my name when I was there shopping yesterday, and of course I bought about 12 thinking I would be making salsa over the weekend for our guests.  As my work load thickened with plenty, the salsa idea fell to the wayside. I ended up making a fried chicken in a creamy tomato chipotle sauce instead with all those perfectly ripe tomatoes. No one complained, in fact they practically licked their plates clean and asked for more!

Ingredients for fried chicken in a creamy tomato chipotle sauce:

• 4 – pounds chicken (cut into eighths, bone in, skin on)
• salt and pepper to taste
• unbleached flour
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 – heaping tablespoon garlic (minced, about 3 garlic cloves)
• 1 – onion sliced
• 3 – large tomatoes (on the vine) (chopped into cubes)
• 3 – chipotle peppers (chopped in big chunks)
• 1/4 – cup tequila
• 4 – cups chicken broth
• 1 – cup half and half

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Salt and pepper chicken generously.
3. Dip chicken into 1/2 cup of flour.
4. In a large pot / dutch oven over a medium flame add in olive oil and allow to get hot.  Fry the chicken on each side for about 4 minutes to brown.  Remove chicken from frying oil and set to the side. 
5. In the same pot add in garlic, and onion. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes or until slightly browned. Add in 2 tomatoes and chipotle peppers continue to saute for an additional 10 minutes. Stirring often. 
6. Pour in the tequila and cook for 3 minutes.
7. Add in chicken broth, and half and half. Bring to a simmer. 
8. Place the chicken pieces back into the pot, cover with the lid and place in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Thermometer should read 165 degrees. 
9. Transfer chicken to a plate.
10. Place pot back on the stove top over a low/simmer flame. Mix to combine. Then take a 1/2 cup of the liquid out of the pot and pour it into a bowl and whisk it together with 3 tablespoons flour. Once the mixture is smooth, pour it back into the pot and mix to combine. 
11. Stir constantly for about 5 minutes as the sauce thickens.
12. Place the chicken in a serving dish and pour the sauce over the top.
13. Top the dish with one chopped tomato. 
14. EAT THIS NOW!