RCI-MT.004.0664.001
Pollo en Pepian Dulce
Mayan chicken fricassee. Easy to prepare and nice in taste.
Prep15 min
Cook30 min
Total45 min
Servings4
Difficultyadvanced
Ingredients
- -pound chicken3½ to 4 unitcut into serving pieces
- chicken stock2 cupsabout
- 1 tablespoon
- ½ cup
- red bell peppers3 unitseeded and coarsely chopped, or 5 canned pimentos, chopped
- tomatoes3 mediumpeeled and coarsely chopped
- onion1 mediumchopped
- garlic2 cloveschopped
- lard or vegetable oil2 tablespoons
- Seville (bitter) orange juice¼ cupor use two-thirds orange juice and one-third lime juice
- ½ teaspoon
- salt1 unitfreshly ground pepper
- ¼ cup
- 1 unit
- ¼ cup
Method
1
Heat the lard or vegetable oil in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the chicken pieces with salt and freshly ground pepper, then brown them on all sides until golden, about 10-12 minutes total. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate and set aside.
2
In the same pot, sauté the chopped onion and garlic until softened and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
3 minutes
3
Add the seeded and coarsely chopped red bell peppers and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. If using canned pimentos instead, add them now.
4
Toast the sesame seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat for about 1 minute, shaking frequently, until fragrant. Transfer to a mortar or spice grinder.
5
Lightly toast the pepitas in the same skillet for about 2 minutes until they begin to smell nutty, then add them to the mortar with the sesame seeds. Grind the mixture coarsely to create a paste-like consistency, or pound with the pestle.
6
Add the peeled and coarsely chopped tomatoes to the pot with the peppers and onions. Stir in the ground allspice and cook for 2-3 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
7
Stir the ground sesame and pepita mixture into the vegetable base until well combined. Pour in the chicken stock and the Seville orange juice (or the mixture of orange and lime juice), stirring to incorporate.
8
Return the browned chicken pieces to the pot, nestling them into the sauce. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat to low and cover partially. Simmer for about 30-35 minutes until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
9
Stir in the butter, seedless raisins, and chopped almonds during the last few minutes of cooking. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
10
Serve the pollo en pepian dulce hot in shallow bowls, ensuring each portion includes chicken pieces and an adequate amount of the rich, sweet sauce.