Title: Pollo En Pipian Rojo
Categories: Spice Chicken Mexican
Yield: 1 Servings

4	lb	Chicken
		Chicken giblets
1/2		Onion, sliced
2		Cloves of garlic, peeled
1		Sprig of parsley
1		Bay leaf
		Little thyme
1	tb	Salt, or to taste
		Water to cover
6		Chiles anchos
		Hot water
1	tb	Chile seeds (or more to
		Taste) well toasted
1/2		Stick cinnamon
3		Whole cloves
5		Peppercorns
3/4	c	Sesame seeds
3	tb	Lard
		The ground seeds and spices
		The soaked chiles
1/2	c	Reserved chicken broth
1		Clove garlic, peeled
3	c	The reserved broth

Put the chicken, giblets, and the rest of the ingredients into the pan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Lower the flame and simmer the chicken until it is just tender -- about 40 to 50 minutes. Let the chicken cool in the broth, then cut it into serving pieces and set aside. Strain the broth and reserve it.

Toast the chiles lightly on a griddle or comal. When they are cool enough to handle but still pliable, slit them open and remove the seeds and veins. Save the seeds.

Cover the chiles with hot water and leave them to soak for 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the toasted, cooled seeds and the spices to the spice grinder and grind them finely. Set them aside.

Toast the sesame seeds well, until a deep gold color, in an ungreased pan and set them aside to cool off a little. Add the toasted, cooled seeds to the spice grinder and grind them very fine.

Melt the lard in a large flameproof dish and fry the ground seeds and spices over a low flame for about 3 minutes, stirring them constantly.

Transfer the chiles with a slotted spoon to the blender jar. Add the broth and garlic and blend to a smooth puree. Add the chile puree to the fried spice mixture in the dish and let it cook fast for about 5 minutes stirring constantly. Add the remaining 3 cups of reserved broth and let the sauce continue cooking over a low flame for about 20 minutes, or until it thickens and is well seasoned. Add the cooked chicken, salt to taste, and let the chicken heat through.

Toast a large avocado leaf, fresh or dried on a warm comal or griddle, grind it finely and add it to the sauce.

This pipian is a deep-red, earthy-looking sauce. When it is cooked it should just lightly cover the back of a wooden spoon.

In Mexico this would be served with hot tortillas only, but plain white rice goes very well with it. It should not be very picante ("zingy"), but have just a pleasant afterglow from the chile seeds.

The sauce can be made several days ahead if you have some good chicken broth handy. The chicken can then be poached ready and heated through in the sauce when you are ready to serve. The sauce freezes extremely well."

From "The Cuisines of Mexico" by Diana Kennedy

George Nelson 70431,3065@compuserve.com From the Chile-Heads Recipe Collection URL: http://chile.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu:8000/www/recipe.html

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