Pepián
One of Guatemala’s oldest dishes, of Maya origin: chicken or beef in a thick sauce of toasted seeds, chillies and tomato. It’s part of the country’s cultural heritage.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken, jointed
- 4 tomatoes and 4 green tomatillos
- 1 onion and 3 garlic cloves
- 2 guajillo chillies and 1 pasilla chilli
- 2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds
- 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 toasted corn tortilla (or bread) to thicken
- 2 potatoes and 1 chayote (güisquil), in chunks
- Salt
How to make it at home
- Simmer the chicken in salted water for 30 minutes. Keep the stock.
- Toast the tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, garlic, chillies, seeds and cinnamon in a dry frying pan, without burning them.
- Blend everything with the tortilla and a little stock into a thick sauce.
- Put the sauce in the pot with the chicken, potatoes and chayote, and cook for 25 minutes.
- Serve with rice and little tamales or tortillas.
The trick: Toasting each ingredient well is what gives pepián its colour and flavour.