Chicken in Green Sauce
There are as many green sauces in the world as there are red ones, and this is one of my favorites. Fresh tomatillos are best for this dish, and those, like pepi-tas (pumpkin seeds) are increasingly easy to find.
- â…“ cup hulled pumpkin or squash seeds
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 cup roughly chopped scallion
- 1 cup husked, cored, and sliced fresh tomatillos or
- sliced drained canned
- 1 jalapeño or other fresh hot green chile, stemmed and seeded, or to taste
- Chicken stock, preferably homemade , or water as needed
- 3 tablespoons lard or neutral oil, like corn or grapeseed
- 1 chicken, 3 to 4 pounds, cut into serving pieces, or 2½ to 3 pounds chicken parts, trimmed of excess fat
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Put the pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet and toast over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until they brown lightly, less than 5 minutes (they'll probably begin to pop). Combine in a blender with the cilantro, scallion, tomatillos, chile, and enough stock or water to make a smooth, thin paste. Set aside.
-  Put the lard in a large deep skillet or flameproof casserole, preferably nonstick, with a lid. Turn the heat to medium-high and wait a minute or so, until the lard melts. Add the chicken, skin side down, season it with salt and pepper, and brown it well, rotating and turning the pieces as necessary, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour out any excess fat.
- Add the salsa verde to the pan with about ½ cup more stock or water; the mixture should be loose, almost soupy. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so the mixture simmers gently. Cook, uncovered, until the chicken is tender and the sauce somewhat reduced, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Serve hot or warm.