Mexican Chicken Lime Soup

Ingredients

• 1 to 1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, or corn oil
• 6 corn tortillas
• 1 1/4 cup chopped white onion
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 habanero chile, seeded and minced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 1 pound tomatoes, cored, peeled, and chopped
• 2 quarts of chicken stock, homemade is best
• 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
• 1 1/2 pounds of skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat, and cut in half crosswise
• 1/3 cup lime juice
• 1 bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped for garnish
• 2 avocados, pitted, peeled, and roughly chopped for garnish

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange the tortillas flat on a baking sheet and warm them for 10 to 12 minutes, turning them over after the first 5 minutes so they dry out a bit before frying. Take them out of the oven, then slice the tortillas into 1/4-inch wide strips.
2. Add oil to a large heavy-bottomed pot until it reaches 1/4-inch deep, about 1 to 1 1/2 cups. Warm it over medium high heat until the oil is about 350 degrees F, or until a tiny piece of tortilla sizzles when it touches the oil. If your test piece darkens too quickly or burns, pull the pot off the heat briefly so the oil can settle down before you keep going.
3. Fry the tortilla strips in batches, sprinkling in a handful at a time. Use metal tongs to move them around so they do not clump together. Let them cook for a few minutes, just until they begin to take on color, then transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels. As the strips go in, you can nudge the heat up to offset the drop in oil temperature, then turn it back down once they start coloring so the oil does not get too hot.
4. Pour off the frying oil, leaving 2 tablespoons in the pot. Set it over medium high heat, add the onions, and cook until they turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, minced habanero, cinnamon, and ground cloves, and cook for a few minutes more.
5. Add the peeled chopped tomatoes to the onions. Stir in the stock, oregano, chicken, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring the soup to a simmer, then lower the heat so it stays at a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken has cooked through.
6. Take the pot off the heat and lift out the chicken. Shred the chicken with 2 forks.
7. Put the shredded chicken back into the soup. Stir in the lime juice, then taste and add more salt if you need it. Serve with the fried tortilla strips, chopped avocado, and cilantro on top.