Narsai David Recipe: Mexican Chicken with Pumpkin Seed Sauce

(KCBS) - KCBS Food and Wine Editor Narsai David shares an easy Mexican dish perfect for Cinco de Mayo.

1 fryer (3 lb), disjointed and skinned
1 TBS salad oil
1 medium onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp cumin
3/4 cup hulled, toasted pumpkin seeds, about 3 oz
1 green jalapeño or serrano chili, cut into chunks
1/2 bunch cilantro
4 tomatillos
4-5 spinach leaves (or 1 bunch radish leaves)
1-1/2 cups chicken broth (or 14 oz can)

Fry chicken pieces in oil until browned. Remove to a platter. Add onions and sauté over low heat until starting to brown. Stir in garlic and cumin seeds and sauté for 1 minute more. Transfer onions and garlic into the bowl of a blender or food processor. Add the pumpkin seeds, pepper, cilantro, tomatillos and spinach leaves and process to a smooth purée. You may have to add a little of the broth to make it purée. Pour the remaining broth in the pan and stir it over heat to deglaze the brown particles. Return all chicken parts except the breasts to pan, cover with purée and simmer 15-20 minutes. Then add chicken breasts and cook 10-15 minutes more until tender. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Narsai David is the KCBS Food and Wine Editor. He has been a successful restaurateur, chef, TV host, and columnist in the Bay Area spanning four decades.

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