Potato Chicken Pipian

Ingredients:

  • 12 cups hot water, divided
  • 3 Yukon Gold Idaho® potatoes, chopped in eighths
  • 5 tablespoons canola oil, divided
  • 8 dried guajillo chiles, tops and seeds removed
  • 1 cup pumpkin seeds (with shell)
  • 1 cup peanuts, raw and unsalted
  • ¼ cup yellow onion, roughly chopped
  • 3 corn tortillas, torn in large pieces
  • 1 ½ cup toasted sesame seeds
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1 -1.5 pound cooked whole chicken, in parts
  • 1/3 cup roasted pepitas for garish

Directions:

  1. In a large stockpot combine potatoes and 5 cups water. Boil for 12 minutes until potatoes are tender. Remove from heat, drain, discard water and set potatoes aside.
  2. In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over low-medium heat.
  3. Add dried chiles, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, onion and corn tortillas. Fry, stirring constantly for 15 minutes.
  4. Transfer mixture to a blender container, add sesame seeds and water, one cup at a time. If your blender is small, work in batches. Blend until smooth.
  5. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to skillet and heat over low medium heat. Add pipian sauce mixture to pan and cook for 5 minutes.

Notes:

To serve: Place 1-2 pieces of chicken and a ⅓ cup cooked potatoes on serving plate. Top with ¼ - ⅓ cup pipian sauce. Top with roasted pepitas.