Pollo en Pipian Verde

Published on March 21, 2019 | By
pipian verde

Chicken with pumpkin seeds, or pipian verde, is an ancient Mexican type of mole that has not changed since pre-Columbian times. Some of the pipian mole type sauces are red however the one that I am sharing and learned to make in San Miguel is “verde” or green. The combination of pumpkin and sesame seeds, peanuts, green chiles and tomatillos produces a thick, nutty and earthy sauce with a creamy finish. Flour is not part of authentic Mexican cooking. Therefore, thickening with nuts, results in a sauce with rich textures and complex flavors. This is a great “do-ahead” sauce and will freeze well.

    • Prep Time
    • Minutes
    • Cook Time
    • Minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 chicken thighs, 4 breasts or a whole chicken
  • 1/2 medium onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 TBSP marjoram
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Pipian Verde Sauce:
  • 8 tomatillos
  • 1/3 cup diced onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 chile serrano or jalapeño, leave seeds and coarsely chop
  • 5 iceberg or romaine lettuce leaves, coarsely chopped
  • 10 stems of cilantro with leaves and stems
  • 3 cups chicken broth, 1 cup added to blender, 2 or more cups added to sauce
  • 2 TBSP lard or vegetable oil
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 corn tortilla, one day old, cut into small squares and fried in oil until crisp and golden
  • 2 TBSP sesame seeds, toasted and ground
  • 1/4 cup raw peanuts, toasted
  • 3/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted and ground

Instructions

  1. Start by cooking the chicken. This sauce is traditionally served with turkey in Mexico. However, it may also be served with chicken or pork and even seafood. If you choose to use a whole chicken, cut the chicken into parts. Place chicken parts in a pot of water with the onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt, and marjoram. Make sure that the chicken is covered with 5-6 cups of water. Cook at a slow steady boil for about 30-40 minutes. Remove chicken from the pot and allow to cool. Strain the broth and reserve for the sauce. You may remove the skin from the chicken if you wish.
  2. Roughly cut the vegetables for the pipian verde sauce. Place the tomatillos, onion, garlic, chile, lettuce and cilantro with leaves and stems, in a blender or food processor. Slowly add 1 cup of broth while processing the vegetable mixture. Blend until the sauce is smooth.
  3. Heat the oil in a deep pot or skillet. Add the pureed ingredients and cook for about 15 minutes. Add remainder of spices, including salt, to taste.
  4. While the sauce is cooking, cut the tortilla into small squares and cook in about one cup of hot oil until golden and crisp. Set aside and drain hot tortilla on paper towels. When cool and dry, grind the tortillas in a processor. Stir these into sauce with another cup of broth.
  5. Toast each one of the nuts separately in a small skillet over medium to high heat on the stove top. Grind the sesame seeds and peanuts together in a coffee grinder or in a food processor. Add these ground nuts to the sauce. Cook 10 minutes over medium heat.
  6. Grind the roasted pumpkin seeds, set aside. you may opt to reserve a few of the pumpkin seeds to garnish the chicken after it is plated. Continue cooking the sauce. Slowly whisk in 1-2 more cups of broth allowing the sauce to loosen but not become too thin.
  7. Finally, add the ground pumpkin seeds combining thoroughly. Continue to stir constantly for about 10 minutes as the sauce may have a tendency to burn at this point.
  8. At this point, you can add the chicken pieces to the pipian verde sauce until heated. Or, you may choose to place a piece of the chicken on each plate and then cover with the sauce. Garnish with reserved whole pumpkin seeds if desired.
  9. Delicious served with black beans and warm tortillas. This sauce freezes well if you choose to make it ahead and save it for another day.
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