Pepián de Pollo

Pepián is the dish most Guatemalans would name first, and it is a cousin of Mexican moles and pipianes, a family of seed-thickened sauces I want to understand better. The technique I expect to learn is grinding toasted seeds into a sauce body that replaces flour or cream, a texture I have not made at home. I also want the charring step: blistering tomatoes and tomatillos in a dry skillet until they blacken in spots is where much of the flavor comes from. It is weeknight-feasible, barely: 70 minutes, but the active part is 25. The chiles are mild dried ones, so the heat is a warmth, not a burn, and I plan to keep it where my son can eat it as is.

• Raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas): Hulled green pumpkin seeds are in the baking or snack aisle and at any Latin market. Toast them until they puff and pop; that is where the nutty flavor comes from.
• Dried guajillo and pasilla chiles: Guatemalan recipes call for chile guaque and chile pasa, essentially guajillo and pasilla. Both are mild and fruity and sold in the Hispanic aisle. Remove the seeds for the gentlest version.
• Tomatillos: Called miltomate in Guatemala. Fresh ones are near the peppers; a small can works too.
• Chayote: A pale green, pear-shaped squash (güisquil) that holds its shape. Zucchini is a fine substitute.
• A corn tortilla or two: Toasted dark and blended in, it thickens the sauce the traditional way and keeps the dish gluten-free.

1. Season the chicken with salt. Put it in the Dutch oven with the stock, bring to a simmer, cover partially and cook 25 minutes while you build the sauce.
2. Peel the potatoes and carrots and cut into 1-inch chunks. Peel the chayote (or trim the zucchini) and cut the same size. Trim the green beans and halve them.
3. Stem and seed the dried chiles. Husk and rinse the tomatillos. Halve the onion and peel the garlic.
4. Heat the dry skillet over medium-high. Toast the pumpkin seeds, stirring, 3–4 minutes until they puff, pop and turn golden; pour into the blender. Toast the sesame seeds 1–2 minutes until golden and add. Toast the chiles 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant but not black and add.
5. In the same skillet, char the tomatoes, tomatillos, onion halves and garlic, turning occasionally, 8–10 minutes until blackened in spots and softened. Add to the blender. Toast the tortillas on the skillet until dark and crisp, tear up and add.
6. Chop the cilantro. Cut the lime into wedges. Start the rice: 1 1/2 cups rice, 2 1/4 cups water, pinch of salt.

1. Ladle 1 1/2 cups of the hot broth into the blender with the seeds, chiles, charred vegetables, tortillas, cinnamon and achiote. Blend 1–2 full minutes until completely smooth and thick like a milkshake, adding broth if needed to get it moving.
2. Lift the chicken out onto a plate. Pour the blended sauce into the broth in the pot, stir well, and bring to a simmer. Taste for salt.
3. Add the potatoes and carrots and simmer 10 minutes.
4. Return the chicken with the chayote and green beans. Simmer 15 minutes more, stirring occasionally so the seeds do not catch, until the vegetables are tender, the chicken reaches 165°F and the sauce coats a spoon. Thin with broth if needed.
5. Pull the skin off the chicken if you prefer. Season with salt and pepper, stir in half the cilantro and rest 5 minutes off the heat.

Spoon rice into wide bowls, set a piece of chicken on top with a share of the vegetables, and ladle the sauce generously over everything. Scatter the rest of the cilantro and put lime wedges and warm tortillas on the table. As written, the heat is a gentle warmth, which is how most Guatemalan family versions eat; to keep my son's bowl mild I would give him more rice, carrots and potatoes. Sliced fresh chile or hot sauce goes on the adults' bowls. Leftovers improve overnight and keep three days; reheat gently with a splash of stock.