Pepián

Pepián de Pollo (Guatemalan Chicken Pepián)

Pepián is one of Guatemala's oldest and most celebrated dishes: chicken simmered in a richly spiced sauce of toasted pumpkin seeds, sesame, tomatoes, dried chillies and a heady blend of warm aromatics. Serve with rice and warm corn tortillas.

Prep

25 min

Cook

60 min

Total

85 min

Serves

4 to 6

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •1.4 kg (3 lb) bone-in chicken pieces (legs and thighs), skin on; traditionally a small whole chicken cut into pieces
• •5 g (1 tsp) fine sea salt, plus more for seasoning the chicken
• •2 g (1 tsp) black peppercorns, whole
• •1 g (2 whole) cloves, whole
• •2 g (1 stick) cinnamon, a 5 cm / 2 inch piece of true cinnamon (canela), broken
• •1 g (2 whole) allspice berries (pimienta gorda), essential for authentic flavour; do not skip
• •100 g (3½ oz) raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas), hulled, pale green, unsalted
• •30 g (¼ cup) sesame seeds, raw, hulled
• •15 g (3 tbsp) achiote (annatto) seeds, or 1 tsp ground annatto; gives colour and a mild earthy note
• •20 g (4 dried) guajillo or pasilla chillies, stems and seeds removed; guajillo is the closest substitute to the Guatemalan chiltepe/dry guaque
• •10 g (2 dried) chipotle peppers, for smoke and depth; optional but traditional in some regions
• •1 g (¼ tsp) whole cumin seed
• •1 g (1 stick) Mexican or true cinnamon, the second stick, used during the simmer
• •2 g (2 whole) allspice berries, the second lot, used during the simmer
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) neutral oil or rendered pork lard, lard is more traditional
• •300 g (10 oz) ripe tomatoes, about 2 medium, roughly chopped
• •80 g (½ medium) white onion, roughly chopped
• •6 g (2 cloves) garlic, peeled
• •20 g (3 sprigs) fresh cilantro, stems and leaves
• •15 g (3 sprigs) fresh mint, leaves and tender stems; do not omit, it is a signature flavour
• •700 ml (3 cups) water or mild chicken stock, plus more if needed
• •2 g (¼ tsp) fine salt, to finish, to taste

Steps

1. 1 Pat the chicken dry and season generously with salt and a grind of black pepper.
2. 2 Heat a heavy dry skillet over medium heat. Add the peppercorns, cloves, the 5 cm cinnamon piece, and 2 g allspice berries. Toast, shaking the pan, for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant, then tip into a small bowl and set aside.
3. 3 In the same skillet, add the pumpkin seeds. Toast over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes until they puff slightly and turn pale gold. Do not brown them or the sauce will turn bitter. Tip into a bowl.
4. 4 Add the sesame seeds to the same skillet and toast for 1 to 2 minutes until they pop and smell nutty. Add to the bowl with the pumpkin seeds.
5. 5 Add the achiote seeds to the skillet and 15 ml of oil. Cook for 30 seconds until the oil turns deep red and the seeds sizzle. Strain the oil and discard the seeds. Set the red oil aside.
6. 6 Wipe out the skillet. Add the dried chillies, dried chipotles (if using) and cumin and toast for 20 to 30 seconds per side until pliable and fragrant; do not scorch them. Soak in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain.
7. 7 Combine the toasted spices, seeds, soaked chillies, tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro, mint and 200 ml of the stock in a blender. Blend, working in batches if needed, until you have a coarse, thick paste. Add a splash more stock only if the blender will not move; the mixture should remain thick.
8. 8 Heat the remaining 15 ml oil (or lard) in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the 1 g cinnamon stick and 2 g allspice berries and let them sizzle for 20 seconds.
9. 9 Strain the seed paste through a fine mesh sieve into the pot, pressing firmly with a spoon to extract the solids (discard what stays behind). Cook the paste, stirring almost constantly, for 8 to 10 minutes until it darkens and the oil just begins to separate at the edges.
10. 10 Pour in the reserved achiote oil and stir to combine. Add the chicken pieces and turn to coat in the paste. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side so the meat takes on colour.
11. 11 Add the remaining 500 ml stock. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, turning the chicken occasionally. The sauce should thicken to coat the back of a spoon; add a splash of water if it reduces too much.
12. 12 Doneness check: the chicken is safe and ready when the juices from a thigh run clear when pierced at the bone and a probe thermometer reads at least 74 °C / 165 °F in the thickest part of the thigh (avoid touching the bone).
13. 13 Taste and adjust salt. Remove the cinnamon stick and whole allspice if you can find them. Let the pepián rest off the heat for 5 minutes so the sauce settles.
14. 14 Serve in deep bowls with a generous ladle of sauce, accompanied by white rice, warm corn tortillas, lime wedges and a small dish of extra chopped onion and cilantro.