Green Pipián with Chicken On a Black Bean Mirror
I learned this recipe from a cooking class I took in Mexico. It takes a bit of work, but its well worth it. The combination of the rice, black beans, and Pipián are a perfect blend from fork to mouth!
Ingredients
Black Bean Sauce
2 cup black beans, rinsed
3-4 cups water
½ onion, diced
2 bay leaves
salt to taste
Green Pipián
1 cup pumpkin seeds
½ onion
2 cloves of garlic
4 tomatillos
½ cup cilantro (leaves and stem)
5 sprigs of flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons basil leaves
2 Serrano peppers (remove ribs and seeds-I like to leave the seeds of ½ a Serrano)
2 leaves of ice berg lettuce
1/2-1 tsp salt
½ cup chicken broth (can also use water)
4 chicken breasts (salt and peppered)
½ plantain or banana cut in slices and deep fried
Rice
2 cups rice, washed
2 tablespoons garlic
2 tablespoons onion
4 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Method
Ingredients
Black Bean Sauce
2 cup black beans, rinsed
3-4 cups water
½ onion, diced
2 bay leaves
salt to taste
Green Pipián
1 cup pumpkin seeds
½ onion
2 cloves of garlic
4 tomatillos
½ cup cilantro (leaves and stem)
5 sprigs of flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons basil leaves
2 Serrano peppers (remove ribs and seeds-I like to leave the seeds of ½ a Serrano)
2 leaves of ice berg lettuce
1/2-1 tsp salt
½ cup chicken broth (can also use water)
4 chicken breasts (salt and peppered)
½ plantain or banana cut in slices and deep fried
Rice
2 cups rice, washed
2 tablespoons garlic
2 tablespoons onion
4 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Method
Black Bean Sauce: Add all the ingredients to a pot (preferably clay). Cook for at least one hour on medium to low heat, until beans are soft.
Blend beans with an immersion blender, slowly add the same water in which they were cooked until reaching the desired consistency. For a “mirror” on a plate, it should be fairly liquid.
Green Pipián: Fry pumpkin seeks in 1 Tb of vegetable oil until golden brown (do not burn). Remove from pan and put them in a blender until ground like sand.
Meanwhile, heat 3 Tb of oil and roast tomatillos, peppers, and onions and garlic. After roasted remove from pan and set aside. Add more vegetable oil and fry cilantro, parsley, basil, and lettuce with salt. Cook until wilted then add blended pumpkin seeds and roasted vegetables. Cook a few min more until golden brown. Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender adding chicken broth until the desired consistency.
Chicken: Add salt and pepper to chicken and fry them in 2Tb of hot oil until well cooked. Shake pan after a min to displace the chicken so it won’t stick. Brown both sides, then cover and steam cook until juices run clear.
Cut the chicken breasts lengthwise if desired for mounting/decorating the dish.
Rice: Heat oil in a pot, sauté garlic and onion for a couple of minutes then add rice and fry until transparent (listen to it crackle). Add chicken broth, bring to a boil, turn heat down cover the pot and simmer until the liquid consumes or the rice gets soft. Remove from heat, sir and let it rest covered. You can add some coriander stems and leaves the last 5 minutes to give some extra taste.
To serve, on a plate, place a serving of rice on a side, add a spoonful of the black bean sauce. On top, put two pieces of chicken breast, one on top of the other. Pour some of the Pipián sauce over the chicken. Decorate with parsley or coriander and the plantain or banana slices.
Blend beans with an immersion blender, slowly add the same water in which they were cooked until reaching the desired consistency. For a “mirror” on a plate, it should be fairly liquid.
Green Pipián: Fry pumpkin seeks in 1 Tb of vegetable oil until golden brown (do not burn). Remove from pan and put them in a blender until ground like sand.
Meanwhile, heat 3 Tb of oil and roast tomatillos, peppers, and onions and garlic. After roasted remove from pan and set aside. Add more vegetable oil and fry cilantro, parsley, basil, and lettuce with salt. Cook until wilted then add blended pumpkin seeds and roasted vegetables. Cook a few min more until golden brown. Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender adding chicken broth until the desired consistency.
Chicken: Add salt and pepper to chicken and fry them in 2Tb of hot oil until well cooked. Shake pan after a min to displace the chicken so it won’t stick. Brown both sides, then cover and steam cook until juices run clear.
Cut the chicken breasts lengthwise if desired for mounting/decorating the dish.
Rice: Heat oil in a pot, sauté garlic and onion for a couple of minutes then add rice and fry until transparent (listen to it crackle). Add chicken broth, bring to a boil, turn heat down cover the pot and simmer until the liquid consumes or the rice gets soft. Remove from heat, sir and let it rest covered. You can add some coriander stems and leaves the last 5 minutes to give some extra taste.
To serve, on a plate, place a serving of rice on a side, add a spoonful of the black bean sauce. On top, put two pieces of chicken breast, one on top of the other. Pour some of the Pipián sauce over the chicken. Decorate with parsley or coriander and the plantain or banana slices.
