Guatamalen Green Chicken Stew

So on my hunt for things to do with tomatillos I came across this awesome looking stew. I only had a red pepper so my stew is not very green but it was really tasty. I loved the ground up seeds, it provided a lovely thick consistency to the stew.


















Guatemalan Green Chicken Stew (from Panning the Globe)
(Serves 6)

112g pumpkin seeds, toasted

55g sesame seeds, toasted

2kg skinless chicken breasts or legs with bones

10-12 fresh tomatillos, husked

1 bunch coriander, washed and roughly chopped

3 tbsp olive oil or other cooking oil

4 large garlic cloves, chopped

3 jalapeno peppers, seeds and ribs removed and roughly chopped

2 green peppers, seeds and ribs removed and roughly chopped

1 medium white onion, roughly chopped

Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

 

Corn tortillas to serve with stew

1 bunch green onions, sliced

1 avocado, cubed or sliced

2 limes, sliced into wedges for squeezing on top

 

Put the pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds into a blender and pulse for 5 or 10 secs, until they are ground. Scrape into a small bowl or cup, and set aside.

 

Put the chicken and fresh tomatillos in a large pot with 2.5l water or enough to just cover and 2 tsp of salt. Bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for 30 mins. Transfer the chicken from the broth to a large plate or bowl and set aside. Using a slotted spoon, transfer tomatillos to the blender. Pour the broth through a strainer into a large bowl and set aside. You will need 1l of broth for the stew. Wipe out the pan.

 

Add the coriander to the blender with the tomatillos and add 250ml of the chicken broth. Puree for about 10-15 secs. Pour the mixture into the pan.

 

Add 3 tbsp of oil to a large sauté pan and cook garlic, jalapeño, green pepper and onion over a medium heat for 10-12 mins, stirring frequently, until they start to brown. Scrape them into the blender. Add 250ml of the strained broth and puree for 10-15 secs. Pour into the pan with the tomatillos and cilantro.

 

Add the ground seeds to the pan and 500ml of the broth. Bring contents of the pan to a boil. Lower to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered for 10 mins to thicken the sauce. Meanwhile, remove the chicken from the bones and shred. Add the shredded chicken to the thickened sauce and season to taste. Simmer gently for an additional 10 mins.

 

Serve the stew in bowls, over rice, with corn tortillas. Sprinkle with cubed avocado, green onions and squeeze over some lime juice.