Courtesy of Topolobampo
Recipe by Chef Meagan O’Connor; recipe and photo courtesy of Topolobampo
1 small white onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
Salt
¾ c. toasted pine nuts
¼ c. toasted almond
8 oz. (5 to 6 medium) tomatillos, husked and rinsed
Fresh hot green chile (roughly 2 serranos or 1 jalapeño, depending on how spicy you desire), stemmed and roughly chopped
1 poblano chile, roasted, peeled, seeds and stems removed
The leaves from a small sprig of fresh epazote
½ cup loosely packed chopped cilantro
First, lightly toast the pine nuts and almonds in an oven at 325° F for 8 to 10 mins.
Roast the vegetables: Heat a broiler and position a rack as close up under the broiler as possible. On a rimmed baking sheet, spread out the tomatillos, garlic, chiles and sliced onion. Slide under the broiler. After about 6 minutes, when everything is blotchy black and softening, turn the vegetables and roast the other side. Watch that the garlic and serrano don't burn; they may be ready before the tomatillos, poblano, and onion. Remove from the broiler and, when the vegetables have cooled down enough to handle, slip off the garlic skins and pull the stems off the serrano. For the poblano, rub off the blackened skin, tear open, pull out the seed pod and stem, then briefly rinse the chile to remove any stray seeds or bits of skin. Roughly chop.
In a blender, combine the roasted vegetables (use any juice on the baking sheet), toasted nuts, epazote, cilantro, and a teaspoon of salt. Pour in 1 cup of water and blend to a smooth puree. (Add more water fi the blender is struggling.) Pour into a heavy bottomed sauce pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in 2 cups more water (or you could use veg or chicken broth), bring to a summer and reduce the heat to medium-low, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, for the flavors to mellow and the sauce to thicken to a medium consistency (it should coat a spoon nicely). If it seems too course, re-blend (in small batches to avoid blender explosions) until velvety smooth. Season with salt!!
Chef’s Note: This is a thicker style of pipian, but if you want a thinner consistency, feel free to thin out with more water or broth and re-season with more salt.
This pipian can be served with a wide variety of proteins, such as roasted chicken or oven roasted fish such as salmon or seabass. (I've put it on the menu with both salmon and arctic char — so good!) It shines just as brightly with vegetables, such as roasted chayote or zucchini. Right now, I have it on our Baja Wine Country menu with broccolini that's been both cold smoked and grilled, with melty aged goat cheese and black truffles!
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