Pipian Verde (Chicken in Green Pumpkin Seed Sauce)

• skinless bone-in chicken breast (about half of 1.25 kg chicken pieces)
• Chicken thigh: skinless chicken legs and thighs (the other half of the 1.25 kg)
• 3 litres water to cook the chicken (about 6½ cups of the broth goes into the sauce)
• a chunk of onion, for the broth
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1 large garlic clove, for the broth
• Salt: 1 heaped tsp coarse salt and 1 heaped tbsp chicken bouillon powder (or more salt), for the broth
• 1 tsp dried oregano (½ tsp for the broth, ½ tsp for the sauce)
• 1 cup (135 g) raw hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• ¼ cup (35 g) sesame seeds
• ¼ cup (35 g) unsalted peanuts
• 2 poblano chillies (300 g), seeded
• 2 jalapeño chillies
• 1 serrano chilli (optional, for heat)
• ½ small onion
• 2 medium garlic cloves
• 400 g tomatillos (green tomatoes)
• 5 lettuce leaves
• 8 epazote leaves
• 10 radish leaves
• 1 bunch coriander (cilantro)
• ¼ tsp cumin
• 3 whole cloves
• 8 black peppercorns
• 2 allspice berries
• 2 heaped tbsp lard (manteca), or oil
• Salt: 1 tsp coarse salt and 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder, for the sauce
• a pinch of sugar (optional)

Method

The cook speaks Spanish; every step is written here in English. Tap a time to watch that step in the video. For subtitles, tap CC in the video, then Settings › Subtitles › Auto-translate › English.

1. Bring 3 litres of water to the boil, add the chicken with the onion chunk, bay leaf, garlic clove, bouillon powder, salt and ½ tsp oregano, and cook over high heat until very tender (about 55 minutes). 2:12
2. Meanwhile roughly cut the tomatillos, half onion, 2 garlic cloves and the green leaves. Stem the jalapeños and serrano (prick the serrano) and seed the poblanos. 2:40
3. In a dry pan, toast the pumpkin seeds, stirring all the time, until golden and popping (about 3 minutes), then the peanuts (2 minutes), then the sesame (1 minute, until it jumps). 3:41
4. Heat 1 heaped tbsp lard and fry the onion and garlic for a minute, then the jalapeños, serrano and tomatillos for 5 minutes over high heat. Add the oregano, cumin, pepper, allspice and cloves and 1 cup water, boil 5 minutes and cool. 4:41
5. Melt the other spoon of lard in a large pot; turn off the heat. Blend in three batches, pouring each in: the fried mix with some poblano, the salt, bouillon, sugar and 1 cup broth; the greens and other poblano with 2 cups broth; the seeds with 2 cups. 6:21
6. Rinse the blender with another cup of broth, add it and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring so it doesn't catch. Thin with a little more broth to taste and check the salt once it boils. 8:29
7. Add the chicken and simmer for 15 minutes more, stirring now and then, until the sauce turns deep green and a little green fat rises to the top. 9:16

Tip. Makes 6–8 serves (the cook's yield). Traditionally eaten with rice, beans and corn tortillas; with steamed greens it stays low in carbs. Freezes well; thin leftovers with a little broth.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.