Just in time for Mothers Day (May 10 in Mexico), here is an absolutely wonderful Mexican Spanish word that all mothers should know: desmadres. Always said with raised eyebrows and a disappointed sigh, ‘desmadres‘ means a big, disorganized mess. (“Ay, que desmadres mijo!” = “Your room is a pigsty!” ).Like all such slang, however, it sounds fiercer than it actually is.
However, if you, out of guilt or just to show off, want to do something yummy (and quick, and healthy, and easy) for your long-suffering mother, this Chipotle Grilled Chicken Desmadres is something she will actually appreciate, and you get to enjoy it as well.
It’s actually a sort of delicious mess: an upside-down salad with smoky – spicy grilled chicken on the bottom, and a mess of cubed avocado, tomato and crunchy red onion tossed with peppery arugula on top. You can literally make the whole thing in the time it takes to heat up the grill. Mom will be so proud!
Or you can just bring her to SOL Cocina in Newport Beach or Scottsdale, and we’ll cook it for you.
INGREDIENT NOTE: Chipotles in adobo are one of my essential, always-on-hand pantry ingredients. Made of red-ripe jalapenos smoked and simmered with garlic, vinegar, a touch of sugar and salt, chipotles in adobo give a little heat and a ton of smoky flavor to every recipe.
GRILLED CHIPOTLE CHICKEN ‘DESMADRES’by Chef Deborah M. Schneider, SOL Mexican Cocina, Newport Beach
Simple and very quick – you can make the whole thing while the grill heats up
Can be cooked in a cast-iron grill pan, or on an outdoor grill. Easy!
Serves 4
1/2 cup canned chipotle chiles in adobo
3 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled and minced
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 teaspoons kosher salt (divided use)
2 roma tomatoes cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 red onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
8 sprigs cilantro, stemmed and roughly chopped
2 Hass avocados, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 limes (divided use)
4 cups baby wild arugula leaves
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat the grill or grill pan, and oil lightly.
While the grill heats, finely chop the chipotles and garlic until it forms a paste.
Butterfly the chicken breasts: Wrap a kitchen towel around your hand and hold the chicken breast so it does not move. With a sharp knife, slice the breast in half horizontally, starting at the thickest end and holding firmly with the towel.
Place each slice of chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Pound the chicken firmly with the flat side of a meat mallet until the chicken slice is an even 1/4 inch thick. (At home I sometimes use the bottom of a small cast iron frying pan which I call “The Enforcer”.) Season the chicken pieces on both sides with 1 teaspoon of the salt, and smear a thin, even layer of chipotle paste on both sides. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the tomato, onion, cilantro and avocado. Toss lightly with salt and the juice of one lime.
Toss with arugula with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt. Squeeze the second lime over the arugula.
Grill the chicken breasts for about 2 minutes on each side and place on serving plates. Divide the arugula among the plates and top each portion of chicken with a spoonful of the avocado salad. Serve with more limes, if you like.
Grilled Chipotle Chicken 'Desmadres'
