• 1 Tbsp. annatto seeds or 1 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
  • 4 whole allspice
  • 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp. cumin seed
  • 1 tsp. finely shredded orange peel
  • 3/4 cup orange juice
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
  • 2-1/2 to 3 pounds chicken thighs (with bone) and/or drumsticks, skinned
  • Banana leaves
  • 1 pound red onions, sliced and separated into rings (about 3-1/2 cups)
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
  • 1/4 tsp. cracked black pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:

1. For marinade, place the annatto seeds, whole peppercorns, allspice, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, and cumin seeds in a spice grinder. Cover; grind to a fine powder. In a small bowl stir together the ground spice mixture, orange peel, orange juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 cloves garlic, and onion.

2. Place the chicken in a resealable plastic bag set in a deep bowl. Pour marinade over chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat chicken with marinade. Marinate in refrigerator for 6 to 24 hours, turning bag occasionally.

3. Cut banana leaves into four to six 12×9-inch rectangles. Loosely roll up the rectangles and place in a steamer basket over, but not touching, boiling water. Cover and steam for 20 to 30 minutes or until leaves are soft and pliable. Remove and cool.

4. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Place one or two chicken pieces on each banana leaf rectangle. Wrap banana leaves around each serving of chicken. Overwrap with foil and seal tightly. (If banana leaves are unavailable, wrap chicken in foil rectangles and seal tightly.) Place wrapped chicken pieces in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Bake in a 375 degrees F oven for 1 hour or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into chicken registers 180 degrees F.

5. Meanwhile, for pickled red onions, place onion rings in a 3-quart stainless-steel or nonstick saucepan; add boiling water to cover. Let stand 1 minute. Drain well. Return onion rings to saucepan; stir in vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, cracked black pepper, and 2 cloves garlic. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes or until onions are tender. Remove from heat; transfer onion mixture to a small glass bowl. Let stand until cool (about 45 minutes), stirring occasionally. To serve, carefully remove foil from chicken. Serve chicken in banana leaves along with onions. Makes 4 to 6 servings.