Mushroom Pozole
Ingredients
- 3 pounds (1.5 kg) fresh mushrooms
- 2 ounces (57 g) dried chile guajillos*
- 3–4 tablespoons (45–60 ml) olive oil
- 1 Yellow onion chopped
- 1–2 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 quart (1 l) water or vegetable stock
- 2–3 sprigs fresh thyme bundled and tied with cotton twine
- 1 30 ounce (850-g) can white hominy, drained**
- 2–3 sprigs fresh oregano stems removed (for garnish)
- 2–3 radishes chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Brush away any loose dirt on the mushrooms. Cut into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Using scissors, cut off the top stem of the chile guajillos. Open the chiles and scrape out and discard the seeds.
- Heat the broiler in your oven.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a heavy 5 quart Dutch oven with a lid. Add the onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the mushroom pieces and sauté briefly, about 2 minutes. Do not allow the mushrooms to overcook or shrink too much. Remove from the heat.
- Place the chile guajillos and garlic cloves in a metal baking pan and toast under the broiler in your oven for 60 to 90 seconds. Place the chiles and garlic in the container of a blender along with the water or vegetable stock. Purée well until smooth.
- Pour the chile purée over the mushrooms and onions. Stir to combine well. Add the bundle of thyme.
- Cover the Dutch oven and return to the heat. Allow to simmer for 25 minutes over a medium low heat.
- Once the pozole is cooked, remove from the heat. Remove the bundle of thyme. Add the drained hominy and stir to combine well.
- Serve the pozole hot and pass the garnishes of oregano and radishes. Best flavor is achieved when made 1 day in advance of serving.
Notes
* You may prefer to wear gloves when handling chiles to avoid skin irritation.
** The weight of the hominy when drained is about 18 ounces or 500 grams.
