Pepián

Ingredients

• 1.5kg bone-in chicken pieces
• 6 cups water
• 1/2 onion, plus 1/2 onion chopped separately
• 2 cloves garlic
• Salt, to taste
• 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 3 dried guajillo chilies, stemmed and seeded
• 2 dried pasilla chilies, stemmed and seeded
• 4 roma tomatoes
• 4 tomatillos
• 1 potato, cubed
• 1 chayote, cubed
• 2 green beans, trimmed and chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 whole cloves

Before you cook

• Stem and seed the dried guajillo and pasilla chilies.
• Cube the potato and chayote and chop the green beans.

Steps

1. Put the chicken, water, half onion and garlic into a pot with a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
2. Simmer for 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through, then lift it out and keep the broth.
3. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until they pop and turn golden, then set aside.
4. Toast the sesame seeds in the same skillet for 2 minutes until golden, then set aside.
5. Toast the dried chilies in the dry skillet for 1 minute per side until fragrant but not blackened.
6. Char the tomatoes and tomatillos directly in the dry skillet, turning, for 8 minutes until blistered and blackened in spots.
7. Soak the toasted chilies in a cup of the hot chicken broth for 10 minutes until softened.
8. Blend the toasted pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, softened chilies, charred tomatoes and tomatillos, chopped onion, cinnamon and cloves with 2 cups of the chicken broth until completely smooth.
9. Pour the blended sauce into a pot and bring it to a simmer, stirring constantly as it thickens.
10. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often to stop it catching on the bottom.
11. Add the potato and chayote and simmer for 12 minutes.
12. Add the green beans and the cooked chicken and simmer for 10 more minutes until the vegetables are tender.
13. Season with salt.
14. Serve hot with rice or tortillas.