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1
Simmer the Chicken
30 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (203°F)
Put the chicken pieces in a large pot with the chicken broth and enough water to cover. Bring to a gentle simmer — never a hard boil — and cook for 30 minutes until the meat is tender and reaches 74°C (165°F) at the bone. Lift the chicken out, keep the broth, and skim off any foam.
A hard boil makes the chicken stringy; a gentle simmer keeps it juicy for the sauce.
Done when: The chicken is tender and the juices run clear at the bone.
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2
Toast the Seeds, Chillies and Spices
10 Mins
Medium heat, about 180°C (350°F)
Heat a large dry comal or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Toast the pumpkin seeds first — they puff and pop when ready, about 3 minutes — then the sesame seeds until pale gold, about 3 minutes, then the cinnamon stick, cloves and peppercorns for 1 minute. Toast the soaked chillies for 30 seconds per side. Work in separate batches and tip each batch into a bowl to cool.
Burnt seeds turn the whole sauce bitter — pull them off the heat the moment they smell fragrant and golden.
Done when: The seeds are golden and fragrant, the pumpkin seeds have popped, and nothing is blackened.
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3
Char the Tomatoes, Tomatillos, Onion and Garlic
10 Mins
Medium-high heat, about 200°C (400°F)
In the same dry skillet, char the tomato halves cut-side down, the whole tomatillos, the onion quarters and the unpeeled garlic, turning them until they are blackened in spots and soft, about 10 minutes. Char the tortilla until crisp on both sides. Peel the garlic once it is cool enough to handle.
The blackened spots are not a mistake — they give the recado its smoky depth.
Done when: The vegetables are soft and blistered with blackened spots.
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4
Blend the Recado
10 Mins
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Grind the toasted seeds, cinnamon, cloves and peppercorns to a fine powder in a spice grinder or blender. Add the soaked chillies, charred tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, garlic and torn tortilla, then blend with a ladle of the reserved chicken broth until completely smooth — a full 2 to 3 minutes. The sauce should be thick and velvety, with no grit.
Blend longer than you think: a silky recado needs time, and any grit will stay gritty in the finished stew.
Done when: The sauce is smooth, thick and reddish-brown, with no visible flecks.
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5
Simmer the Stew with Vegetables
25 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 90°C (194°F)
Heat the oil in the large pot, pour in the blended recado — it will hiss and splatter, so use a lid as a shield — and fry for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Thin with the remaining chicken broth until the sauce coats a spoon, add the salt, then return the chicken with the chayote and green beans. Simmer gently for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is hot through at 74°C (165°F). Stir in the cilantro just before serving.
If the sauce gets too thick as it simmers, thin it with a splash of the reserved broth — it should coat, not bury, the chicken.
Done when: The chayote is tender but holds its shape, the beans are bright and tender, and the sauce clings thickly to the chicken.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Ladle the chicken, vegetables and plenty of sauce into wide bowls, with white rice, warm corn tortillas and sliced avocado on the side. Sprinkle a few extra toasted sesame seeds over the top if you like.
Guatemala
2h 25m
France
Vietnam