Pipián Verde

Ingredients

• 6 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 6 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups raw hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• 1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 2 poblano peppers
• 2 serrano peppers, stemmed
• 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 1/2 white onion, quartered
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 6 romaine lettuce leaves, torn
• 2 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 whole clove
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Method

1. 1

   Place chicken thighs in a 6-quart saucepan with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and tender.

   30:00 · Simmer chicken
2. 2

   Remove the chicken from the broth and set aside, loosely covered. Reserve the broth in the saucepan for later use.

3. 3

   While the chicken simmers, toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry 9-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until they puff and turn golden and fragrant.

   5:00 · Toast pumpkin seeds
4. 4

   Transfer toasted pumpkin seeds to a plate to cool, then grind in a spice grinder or blender to a fine, slightly oily meal. Set aside.

5. 5

   Char the poblanos, serranos, and unpeeled garlic cloves in the same dry skillet over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until blistered and blackened in spots.

   10:00 · Char peppers and garlic
6. 6

   Add the tomatillos and onion quarters to the skillet and char alongside, turning occasionally, until softened and lightly blackened in spots.

   8:00 · Char tomatillos and onion
7. 7

   Peel the garlic cloves and the poblanos once cool enough to handle, removing the poblano stems and seeds.

8. 8

   Combine the charred tomatillos, onion, poblanos, serranos, garlic, cilantro, and romaine leaves in a blender with 1 1/2 cups of the reserved chicken broth. Blend until smooth.

9. 9

   Add the ground pumpkin seeds to the blender and blend again until the sauce is smooth and thick, scraping down the sides as needed.

10. 10

    Heat the lard or oil in a 6-quart saucepan over medium heat. Pour in the blended sauce carefully, as it will splatter, and stir in the cumin, oregano, and clove.

11. 11

    Simmer the sauce, stirring frequently to prevent scorching and sticking, until thickened and the raw tomatillo flavor mellows.

    10:00 · Simmer pipián sauce
12. 12

    Stir in additional reserved broth, 1/4 cup at a time, if the sauce is thicker than heavy cream. Season with the remaining salt.

13. 13

    Add the cooked chicken thighs to the sauce and simmer gently, turning once, until heated through and the chicken has absorbed some sauce flavor.

    10:00 · Simmer chicken in sauce
14. 14

    Stir in the lime juice, taste, and adjust salt as needed. Serve the chicken topped with pipián verde and warm tortillas or rice alongside.