Pepián de Pollo (Guatemalan Chicken in Toasted Seed Sauce)

Ingredients

• 3 lbs bone-in chicken pieces
• 6 cups water
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 4 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 2 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 3 Roma tomatoes
• 2 tomatillos
• 1/2 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• Salt to taste
• 1 lb green beans, trimmed
• 2 small potatoes, cubed
• Cooked rice, for serving

Before you cook

• Stem and seed the dried chiles.
• Trim the green beans and cube the potatoes.
• Peel the garlic and cut the onion in half.

Steps

1. Place the chicken in a large pot with the water and a pinch of salt.
2. Bring to a boil, then skim the foam and simmer for 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked.
3. Remove the chicken and set it aside, keeping the broth in the pot.
4. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until they pop, about 3 minutes, then set aside.
5. In the same skillet, toast the sesame seeds for 1 minute until golden, then set aside.
6. Toast the dried chiles in the skillet for 30 seconds per side, until fragrant.
7. Char the tomatoes, tomatillos and onion half in the skillet, turning occasionally, for 8 minutes.
8. Soak the toasted chiles in a bowl of hot water for 10 minutes to soften.
9. Blend the toasted pumpkin and sesame seeds with a splash of the chicken broth until smooth.
10. Blend the softened chiles, charred vegetables and garlic with another splash of broth until smooth.
11. Heat the oil in the pot used for the chicken broth over medium heat.
12. Pour in the chile and vegetable purée and fry for 5 minutes, stirring often.
13. Stir in the seed purée, black pepper and cinnamon.
14. Pour in the remaining chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
15. Add the potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes.
16. Add the green beans and the cooked chicken and simmer for 10 more minutes.
17. Season with salt to taste.
18. Serve hot over rice.