Pepián

About This Recipe

Pepián is Guatemala's national dish and one of the oldest continuously prepared dishes in the Americas, with roots in pre-Columbian Maya cuisine. It is a thick, complex sauce made by toasting and grinding pumpkin seeds (pepitas), sesame seeds, dried chillies, tomatoes, tomatillos, cinnamon, and other spices, then cooking the paste with chicken or turkey in a rich, earthy sauce. It shares ancestry with Mexican mole but predates it — Maya texts reference pepián-like preparations centuries before mole was codified. The flavour is deep, complex, slightly smoky, and unlike anything else: nutty from the seeds, fruity from the chillies, warm from the spices. Pepián negro (dark) and pepián rojo (red) are the two main varieties, differing in chilli selection and degree of toasting.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1.2 kgchicken pieces(bone-in, skin-on)
• 100 gpumpkin seeds (pepitas)(hulled)
• 3 tbspsesame seeds
• 3dried guajillo chillies(or ancho, seeds removed)
• 2dried pasilla or mulato chillies
• 4 mediumtomatoes(halved)
• 4tomatillos(husked, halved)
• 1 mediumonion(quartered)
• 4 clovesgarlic(unpeeled)
• 1 stickcinnamon (about 5 cm)
• 4whole cloves
• 4black peppercorns
• 500 mlchicken stock
• 2 tbspvegetable oil
• Salt(to taste)

Instructions

1. 1

   Toast seeds and spices

   In a dry pan, toast pumpkin seeds over medium heat until they pop and turn golden, 4–5 minutes. Set aside. Toast sesame seeds until golden, 2–3 minutes. Toast cinnamon stick, cloves, and peppercorns briefly until fragrant. All separately.

2. 2

   Toast chillies and vegetables

   Toast dried chillies briefly in the dry pan (30 seconds per side), then soak in hot water 15 minutes until pliable. Char the tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, and unpeeled garlic directly in the pan or under a grill until dark in spots.

   Charring the vegetables is what gives pepián its depth and smokiness — don't shy away from the dark spots.

3. 3

   Blend the sauce

   Drain chillies. Peel garlic. Blend all toasted seeds and spices with the soaked chillies, charred tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, and garlic with a little stock until completely smooth. This may need to be done in batches.

4. 4

   Cook the sauce

   Heat oil in a deep pot until very hot. Pour in the blended sauce — it will sizzle dramatically. Fry, stirring constantly, for 5–8 minutes until the sauce darkens and thickens. Add remaining stock and bring to a simmer.

5. 5

   Cook the chicken

   Season chicken with salt. Add to the sauce. Simmer covered for 30–35 minutes until chicken is cooked through and sauce has thickened. Adjust seasoning.

6. 6

   Serve

   Serve over or alongside white rice, with warm corn tortillas and pickled vegetables.

Variations

• •

  Use turkey for a more traditional version.

• •

  Add chayote squash and green beans to the sauce for extra vegetables.

• •

  Make a vegetarian version with roasted pumpkin and mushrooms instead of chicken.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Storage

Sauce keeps refrigerated for 4 days. Freezes excellently for up to 3 months. Great for batch cooking.

Frequently Asked Questions