Preparation
Place chicken pieces into a wide bottom pan and cover with 10 cups cold water. Add the onion, garlic cloves, bay leaf and salt. Bring to a simmer, skim any scum that floats to the top and cook slowly for to 30 minutes until chicken is tender. Allow chicken to cool in the broth. Remove chicken from the broth. Strain the broth and reserve. Take the chicken meat off the bones and shred the meat.
Place a skillet over medium high heat. Add the tomatillos, onion and garlic to the pan and lightly char on all sides. Char the jalapeño over an open flame to blacken the skin. Scrape the skin off and remove the stem. Peel the garlic cloves and transfer the tomatillos, onions, garlic and jalapeño to a blender jar. Add enough of the reserved chicken broth to the jar to puree on high until smooth. Transfer the puree to the saucepan with the reserved chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Drain the hominy and rinse in a colander. Add to the saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt if necessary.
To prepare the garnish for the posole, heat a small skillet over high heat with the vegetable oil and arbol chiles. Toast in the oil until they darken in color. Remove from the oil and set on a plate lined with a paper towel. Season lightly with salt.
To serve, ladle the soup into large soup bowls. Garnish each bowl with some shredded cabbage, minced onion, sliced radish, avocado and a crumbled arbol chile over top. Serve with a lime wedge.
Enjoy with a glass of Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc.
