Oven-Braised Southwest Chicken

• 1 chicken, 2 1/2 to 3 pounds
• 2 16-ounce cans yellow hominy (do not use white)
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 medium red or green bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
• 1 small carrot, peeled and finely diced
• 6 shiitake or domestic mushrooms, stems removed, caps diced
• 3 to 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 13 cup dry vermouth
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)
• Salt to taste.

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Cut the chicken into serving pieces, or have the butcher do so.
3. Heat a nonstick skillet over a high flame and sear the chicken on all sides, but do not brown.
4. This will keep the skin from seizing up during the baking.
5. Set aside on paper towels.
6. Drain the hominy in a sieve, rinse it and drain it again.
7. Spoon into a 3-quart casserole with a lid.
8. Arrange the chicken pieces on top.
9. Layer the onion, bell pepper, carrot, shiitakes and jalapenos on top.
10. Sprinkle with the cumin, then crumble the oregano over.
11. Season with pepper and place bay leaf on top.
12. Pour the vermouth into the casserole, cover and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until cooked through.
13. When the chicken is cooked, remove from the oven and discard the bay leaf.
14. Add the cilantro and cream (if you like) to the casserole and mix to combine all the ingredients in the casserole.
15. Season with salt to taste.
16. Serve the chicken pieces with the hominy mixture alongside and spoon the juices over.

chicken, yellow hominy, onion, red, carrot, shiitake, peppers, ground cumin, freshly ground black pepper, bay leaf, cilantro, heavy cream, salt

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016166 (may not work)