Green Pumpkin Seed Sauce Recipes

CHICKEN IN PUMPKIN SEED SAUCE

Steps:

• Place the chicken in a pot with just enough water to cover. Sprinkle with salt, and add the peppercorns, bay leaves, quartered onion and herb bundle. Bring to a low boil, and then reduce the heat and poach the chicken until cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the chicken, straining the stock, and then wipe the pot clean and return to the heat. Peel the skin off the chicken breasts and cover to keep warm until the sauce is ready. Dry toast the pumpkin seeds over medium heat until puffed and toasted, 4 to 5 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup of the toasted seeds for garnish. Puree the remaining seeds in a blender or food processor with 1 cup of the stock, the chopped onion, EVOO, cumin, epazote, if using, cinnamon, tomatillos, lettuce, garlic and chiles. Transfer the pumpkin seed puree to the pot with 2 1/2 to 3 cups of the reserved chicken stock and simmer to develop flavor and thicken, 20 minutes. Adjust the seasonings. Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnishreserved toasted pumpkin seeds. Serve with warm corn tortillas, for wrapping, and minced red onion, for topping. If you would like to serve with a vegetable, steamed or sauteed zucchini is perfect.

GREEN PIPIAN

Steps:

• Heat a heavy Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat and add the pumpkin seeds. Wait until you hear one pop, then stir constantly until they have puffed and popped, and smell toasty. They should not get any darker than golden or they will taste bitter. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.
• Place the cooled pumpkin seeds in a blender and add the tomatillos, chiles, lettuce, onion, garlic, cilantro, and 1/2 cup of the chicken stock. Cover the blender and blend the mixture until smooth, stopping the blender to stir if necessary.
• Heat the oil in the Dutch oven or heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Drizzle in a bit of the pumpkin seed mixture and if it sizzles, add the rest. Cook, stirring, until the mixture darkens and thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. It will splutter, so be careful. Hold the lid of the pot above the pot to shield you and your stove from the splutters. Add the remaining chicken stock, bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring often, until the sauce is thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt. For a silkier sauce, blend again in batches.

HERBED PUMPKIN SEED MOLE (MOLE VERDE CON HIERBAS)

Steps:

• In a large skillet with high sides or in a large saucepan, toast the pumpkin seeds, cumin seeds, and oregano over high heat. Toss to make sure they don't burn, but toast until fragrant, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a blender or spice grinder and process until ground. Set aside.
• In the same skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, tomatillos, garlic, and jalapeños and cook until slightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes, tossing a couple of times, but not stirring too much. Carefully place the vegetables in a blender or food processor. Then add the broth, cilantro, parsley, epazote (if using), and salt and process until puréed. Pour back into the skillet and add the ground pumpkin seed mixture. Let simmer until flavors are well combined, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Serve immediately. Any leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for a couple of days.

DUCK IN GREEN PUMPKIN SEED SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. Prepare the sauce. Then, if you are cutting up the ducks yourself, rinse the ducks and pat dry. With a boning knife, cut the leg and thigh away from the body in one piece. Repeat for all leg-thigh pieces. Cut all of the breast halves away from the carcass, leaving the skin attached. (Use carcasses for stock, if desired, or discard.) Trim excess fat from all the duck pieces. Season with salt and pepper. 2. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and cook the leg-thigh pieces, turning frequently, until browned on both sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to an ovenproof casserole dish. 3. In the same skillet, cook the onion 3 to 4 minutes. Put in the casserole dish with the duck. Cover and bake in preheated oven about 1 1/2 hours, or until the duck is very tender. If cooked ahead, cover and refrigerate up to 1 day. 4. About 30 minutes before serving, reheat the legs in a 250° oven. Reheat the pumpkin seed sauce and keep warm. Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Place the duck breasts skin side down in the dry hot pan. Cook, without turning, until the skin is nicely browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. (Fat renders as the meat cooks. Take care not to let the skin blacken.) Turn and cook the second side 4 to 5 minutes for medium-rare, about 6 minutes for medium. 5. Transfer to a plate and let rest 4 to 5 minutes. Slice the duck breasts and arrange on a serving platter along with the cooked legs. Spoon some of the sauce over the duck. Pass remaining sauce at the table.From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.