Veracruz Chicken with Sesame Seed & Red Chili Sauce

Tlatonile de Pollo

VERACRUZ CHICKEN WITH SESAME-SEED AND RED-CHILE SAUCE
Adapted from Carmen Ramírez Degollado

Looking for comfort food with a kick? Here, tender boiled chicken is simmered with a mole, in this case a velvety, slightly spicy sauce made from aromatic ground sesame seeds, peanuts, and dried chiles. Veracruz cooks use comapeño chiles, which aren't available in the States, but the pulla, guajillo, and New Mexico varieties are equally delicious. This recipe is based on one by cookbook author Carmen Ramírez Degollado and, as is typical in Mexico, it makes lots of sauce—perfect over rice or scooped up with tortillas.

Instructions

COOK CHICKEN: Put chicken in a 6- to 8-quart pot and add water, onion, carrot, garlic, epazote, and 1½ teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil, skimming foam, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until chicken is cooked through, 25 to 35 minutes.

• Transfer chicken to a plate and discard epazote. Strain broth through a sieve into a large bowl, skimming fat if desired, and reserve broth and solids separately.

MAKE SAUCE: Slit chiles lengthwise, then stem, seed, and devein. Heat a comal or large heavy skillet (not nonstick) over medium heat until hot, then toast chiles in 1 batch, turning and pressing with tongs, until more pliable and slightly changed in color, 1 to 2 minutes (see Kitchen Notebook at gourmet.com). Transfer to a plate.

• Toast sesame seeds and allspice in hot skillet, stirring, until sesame seeds are pale golden. Transfer to a plate to cool. Reserve 1 tablespoon sesame seeds for garnish.
• Purée solids from broth in a blender (in 2 batches if necessary) with 3 cups broth, chiles, peanuts, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining sesame-seed mixture until smooth, about 3 minutes per batch (use caution when blending hot liquids).
• Heat oil in a 6- to 7-quart heavy pot (10 to 12 inches wide) over medium heat until it shimmers, then add sauce (it will spatter) and bring to a simmer, stirring. Cook sauce over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until very thick, about 20 minutes.
• Stir 2 cups broth and chopped epazote into sauce and season with salt. Add chicken, submerging it, and cook, covered, over low heat, stirring frequently, until chicken is heated through, 15 to 20 minutes. Thin with additional broth or water if necessary (sauce should have consistency of a thick cream soup). Serve chicken with generous amounts of sauce, sprinkled with reserved sesame seeds.