Pepita is a Spanish culinary term for the pumpkin seed, the edible seed of a pumpkin or other squash, the stuff you throw out at Halloween kind of stuff.... but for those of us in the know, it's a great!
Pepitas are a popular ingredient in Mexican cuisine and are also roasted and served as a snack. Marinated and roasted, they are an autumn seasonal favorite, as well as a commercially produced and distributed packaged snack, like sunflower seeds, available year-round. Pepitas are known by their Spanish name, and typically salted and sometimes spiced after roasting (and today also available as a packaged product), in Mexico and other Latin American countries, and in specialty and Mexican food stores. In the Americas, they have been eaten since at least the time of the Aztecs and probably much earlier, since squash was one of the three earliest plant domesticates in the Western Hemisphere, along with maize and common beans. Known as Three Sisters, originating in Mexico. As an ingredient in one of a miriad of mole dishes, they are known in Spanish as pipián. Lightly roasted, salted, unhulled pumpkin seeds are popular in Greece with the descriptive Italian name, passatempo ("pastime").
The seeds are also good sources of protein, and the essential minerals iron as well as zinc, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, and potassium. According to the USDA, one gram of roasted pepita contain 5.69 mg L-tryptophan and one gram of pepita protein conta
ins 17.2 mg of L-tryptophan. One cup of milk contains 183 mg. This high tryptophan content makes pepita of interest to researchers studying the treatment of anxiety disorders. Some eat the seeds as a preventative measure against onset of anxiety attacks, clinical depression and other mood disorders. Some studies have also found pumpkin seeds to prevent arteriosclerosis and to regulate cholesterol levels in the body.
Mole, from Nahuatl mulli or molli, is the generic name for a number of sauces used in Mexican cuisine, as well as for dishes based on these sauces. Outside of Mexico, it often refers to a specific sauce which is known in Spanish by the more specific name Mole Poblano. In contemporary Mexico, the term is used for a number of sauces, some quite dissimilar to one another, including black, red, yellow, coloradito, green, almendrado, and pipián.
Pipian is a type of mole which mostly consists of ground squash seeds. It does not contain chocolate, but generally contains tomatillos, hoja santa, chili peppers, garlic and onion to give it a green hue. There is also a red version which combines the squash seeds with peanuts, red jalapeños or chipotle and sesame seeds. Like other moles, it is cooked with broth and then served with poultry and pork, and sometimes with fish or vegetables.
Mole verde can refer to a number of different sauces that all finished with a green color. Most of these must be made fresh and not from a mix as they require a number of fresh herbs and other ingredients. Another version comes from Veracruz, were pork is covered in a sauce made from ground peanuts, tomatillos and cilantro, with the last two giving the sauce its green color. In all cases, it's exotic and very special.
Pollo en Pipian Verde (Chicken in Green Pipian Sauce).- An exotic and different dish you will come to love.
1 whole 3 1/2-pound chicken plus 1 whole chicken breast
1/2 large white onion
6 long sprigs fresh coriander1/2 teaspoon salt
6 black peppercorns
3 allspice berries
For pumpkin-seed sauce
1 1/2 cups hulled green pumpkin seeds (about 7 ounces)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
4 allspice berries
3 cloves
6 black peppercorns
1 pound fresh tomatillos or a 28-ounce can tomatillos (fresh is always best)1-3 fresh serrano chilies
1/2 large white onion
4 garlic cloves
1/2 cup packed coarsely chopped fresh coriander
5 Epazote leaves, chopped
1/2 cup Chard leaves, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup lard or vegetable oil
3 cups stock from cooking chicken
1 fresh poblano chili
Garnish: chopped toasted hulled pumpkin seeds and chopped fresh coriander
Rinse chicken and cut garlic head in half crosswise. In a 6-quart kettle cover chicken, garlic halves, onion, coriander, salt, peppercorns, and allspice with water and simmer, covered, 1 hour, or until chicken is tender. Transfer chicken to a bowl to cool and reserve stock.
Shred chicken, discarding skin and bones. Pour reserved stock through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing garlic pulp through sieve. Measure 3 cups stock for sauce and reserve remainder for another use. Chicken and stock may be made 1 day ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, before being chilled separately, covered. (Stock keeps, frozen, 1 month.)
Make sauce: Heat a large heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot and toast pumpkin seeds, stirring constantly, until they have expanded and begin to pop, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer seeds to a plate to cool. In skillet heat sesame and cumin seeds, allspice, cloves, and peppercorns, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute, and transfer to plate. When seeds and spices are cool, in an electric spice/coffee grinder grind mixture in 4 batches to a powder.
If using fresh tomatillos, discard husks and rinse with warm water to remove stickiness. Stem serrano chilies. In a saucepan simmer fresh tomatillos and serranos in salted water to cover 10 minutes. If using canned tomatillos, drain them and leave serranos uncooked. Transfer tomatillos and serranos (use a slotted spoon if simmered) to a blender and purée with onion, garlic, 1/4 cup coriander, and salt until completely smooth.
In a 5-quart heavy kettle simmer tomatillo purée in lard or oil, stirring frequently, 10 minutes. Add 2 1/2 cups stock and stir in powdered pumpkin-seed mixture. Simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Sauce may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, before being chilled, covered.
Roast and peel poblano chili. In blender purée poblano with remaining 1/2 cup stock and remaining 1/4 cup coriander until completely smooth. Stir poblano purée and chicken into sauce and heat on top of stove or in a 350° F. oven until chicken is heated through.
Garnish chicken with pumpkin seeds and coriander and serve with tortillas.
1/2 large white onion
4 garlic cloves
1/2 cup packed coarsely chopped fresh coriander
5 Epazote leaves, chopped
1/2 cup Chard leaves, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup lard or vegetable oil
3 cups stock from cooking chicken
1 fresh poblano chili
Garnish: chopped toasted hulled pumpkin seeds and chopped fresh coriander
Rinse chicken and cut garlic head in half crosswise. In a 6-quart kettle cover chicken, garlic halves, onion, coriander, salt, peppercorns, and allspice with water and simmer, covered, 1 hour, or until chicken is tender. Transfer chicken to a bowl to cool and reserve stock.
Shred chicken, discarding skin and bones. Pour reserved stock through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing garlic pulp through sieve. Measure 3 cups stock for sauce and reserve remainder for another use. Chicken and stock may be made 1 day ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, before being chilled separately, covered. (Stock keeps, frozen, 1 month.)
Make sauce: Heat a large heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot and toast pumpkin seeds, stirring constantly, until they have expanded and begin to pop, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer seeds to a plate to cool. In skillet heat sesame and cumin seeds, allspice, cloves, and peppercorns, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute, and transfer to plate. When seeds and spices are cool, in an electric spice/coffee grinder grind mixture in 4 batches to a powder.
If using fresh tomatillos, discard husks and rinse with warm water to remove stickiness. Stem serrano chilies. In a saucepan simmer fresh tomatillos and serranos in salted water to cover 10 minutes. If using canned tomatillos, drain them and leave serranos uncooked. Transfer tomatillos and serranos (use a slotted spoon if simmered) to a blender and purée with onion, garlic, 1/4 cup coriander, and salt until completely smooth.
In a 5-quart heavy kettle simmer tomatillo purée in lard or oil, stirring frequently, 10 minutes. Add 2 1/2 cups stock and stir in powdered pumpkin-seed mixture. Simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Sauce may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, before being chilled, covered.
Roast and peel poblano chili. In blender purée poblano with remaining 1/2 cup stock and remaining 1/4 cup coriander until completely smooth. Stir poblano purée and chicken into sauce and heat on top of stove or in a 350° F. oven until chicken is heated through.
Garnish chicken with pumpkin seeds and coriander and serve with tortillas.NOTE: Of course you can use this sauce for many other things, let your imagination guide you.
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So next time you want to try your hand at something really different, give this a go. As always, change up the nuts and seasonings and arrive at your very own version. As I keep saying: "there are no rules" and "the only limit you have is your imagination".... so go ahead and create your own classic today!
Wishing everyone the best wishes of the season. We're having incredible Spring weather and hope my mentioning it doesn't jinx it and brings on the heat we're known for.... Have a couple of very interesting new projects on the fire and I'll post them as soon as I've arrived at final versions, ok? Until then take care and we'll talk soon....
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