Chicken with Pumpkin-Seed Mole Verde, Roasted Squash, Broccolini, Lime Cabbage, and Pickled Onion
Tender chicken thighs simmered in a vibrant mole verde (also called pipián verde), a traditional Mexican green sauce made from toasted pumpkin seeds, tomatillos, green chiles, and herbs. It's served with caramelized winter squash, charred broccolini, a crisp lime cabbage slaw, and bright pink pickled onions.
Yield: Serves 4 · Active: 45 min · Total: 1 hr 15 min · Best in North America in early fall, when tomatillos, peppers, and winter squash overlap · Best eaten: early evening
Pipián verde comes from central Mexico, and its pumpkin seed base goes back to pre-Hispanic cooking. The toasted pepitas give the sauce a rich, nutty body with no flour or cream.
Ingredients
Mole verde
¾ cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
½ lb tomatillos (about 5–6), husked and rinsed
1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded (or not, for more heat)
½ white onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 cup fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
2 large romaine or lettuce leaves (traditional; they add body and a fresh green color)
½ tsp ground cumin
1–1½ cups chicken bone broth
1 tbsp lard or extra virgin olive oil
¾ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
Chicken
2 lb pasture-raised bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1 tsp Baja Gold sea salt
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Sides
1 small butternut or acorn squash, cut into wedges or cubes
2 bunches broccolini, trimmed
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 cups finely shredded green cabbage, tossed with the juice of 1 lime and a pinch of salt
1 red onion, thinly sliced, tossed with ⅓ cup fresh lime juice (or raw apple cider vinegar) and ½ tsp salt for quick-pickled onions
Method
Pickle the onions first. Toss the onion with the lime juice and salt and let it sit at least 30 minutes, until bright pink.
Roast the squash and chicken. Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss the squash with 2 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Roast both on separate pans; the squash takes 25–30 minutes, and the chicken 30–35 minutes, until it reaches 165°F (thighs are even more tender at 175°F).
Toast the pepitas. Toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring, until they puff and start to pop, about 4–5 minutes. Save 2 tbsp for garnish.
Make the mole verde. Simmer the tomatillos, poblano, jalapeño, onion, and garlic in a little water for 8–10 minutes, until the tomatillos turn olive green. Drain, then blend with the toasted pepitas, cilantro, lettuce, cumin, and 1 cup broth until very smooth.
Fry the sauce. Heat the lard in a saucepan over medium heat, pour in the sauce (careful, it splatters), and simmer gently 8–10 minutes, stirring, adding more broth as needed until it coats a spoon. Season with salt. Keep the heat gentle, since boiling can make the seeds' oils separate.
Roast the broccolini. Toss it with the remaining olive oil and salt and roast at 425°F for 12–15 minutes, until charred.
Plate. Spoon a pool of mole verde onto each plate, set the chicken on top, and add the squash, broccolini, and lime cabbage. Finish with pickled onions, toasted pepitas, and cilantro.
Storage: Chicken and mole verde, up to 4 days refrigerated (the sauce freezes up to 3 months); roasted vegetables, up to 4 days; pickled onions, up to 2 weeks.
Nourishment Notes
Pumpkin seeds — zinc, magnesium, iron, and protein, which give the sauce its rich body.
Tomatillos and chiles — vitamin C, potassium, and capsaicin.
Pasture-raised chicken — complete protein, B vitamins, and collagen.
Winter squash — beta-carotene and fiber.
Broccolini and cabbage — glucosinolates, vitamin C, and vitamin K.
Cilantro, lime, and onion — chlorophyll, vitamin C, and quercetin.
For your cycle: Pumpkin seeds' zinc and magnesium make this an especially supportive plate in the luteal phase, and the brassicas support estrogen metabolism through Phase 2 liver detoxification.
Sourcing
Chicken thighs — pasture-raised, from a local farm raising birds on pasture, or White Oak Pastures
Pumpkin seeds — organic and raw
Tomatillos, poblanos, jalapeños, onions, squash, broccolini, cabbage, cilantro, and limes — organic, from a farmers' market or Mexican grocer
Lard — from pasture-raised pigs, rendered at home or from a local farm
Chicken bone broth — homemade from pasture-raised chicken, or Bonafide Provisions (organic, sold frozen)
Cumin — organic and non-irradiated
Extra virgin olive oil — organic, single-estate, harvest-dated, in dark glass
Baja Gold sea salt
— Anna aka Food Marshall