Wash and pat dry the fresh chiles. To roast the poblano chiles, place the fresh chiles directly on a gas burner flame or on a baking pan underneath an electric or gas broiler. Allow the chiles to roast until they are well blackened. Use metal tongs to turn the chiles so that they roast evenly. Once the chiles are well blackened, roll them up in a clean kitchen towel and place the bundle in a paper bag. Allow the chiles to sweat for at least 10 minutes or allow to cool completely. Unwrap the chiles and scrape away the blackened skin. Cut away the top stem and slice open the chile. Rinse away any remaining seeds or blackened skin. Slice into strips and then set aside.

Heat vegetable oil in a 10” (25cm) skillet/sauté pan with a lid or Dutch oven. Brown the onions over medium heat until translucent, about 2 minutes.  Add chicken pieces to pan along with the carrots and brown for about 20 minutes. Cover if desired while browning.*

Remove the lid of the pan and turn the chicken pieces over. Add the cream, chiles, and garlic. Simmer over low heat covered for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and allow to simmer for another 10 minutes until the cream sauce is reduced and chicken is cooked through.

*I prefer to brown chicken uncovered for firmer skin texture.

Variation with milk: Use 2 cups (480ml) of whole or 2% milk instead of heavy cream. Do not use skim or non-fat milk. Remove the chicken from the pan after the sauce has reduced for 10 minutes. Mix 2 tsp. (4g) of corn starch with ¼ cup (60ml) of water, combining well. Pour quickly into the simmering sauce, and simmer for 3-4 minutes more. Return chicken to pan and coat with sauce.

Variation with almond milk: Before you cook the chicken, toast ¼ cup (24g) slivered blanched almonds in 1 tbsp. (15ml) of olive or vegetable oil for 2-3 minutes. Use 2 cups (480ml) of unflavored, unsweetened almond milk instead of heavy cream. Once the almonds are light golden in color, remove from the pan and blend together with almond milk and garlic. Proceed with the chicken recipe.

Remove the chicken from the pan after the sauce has reduced for 10 minutes. Mix 2 tsp. (4g) of corn starch with ¼ cup (60ml) of water, combining well. Pour quickly into the simmering sauce, and simmer for 3-4 minutes more. Return chicken to pan and coat with sauce.