Surrey Homes | SH105 | October 2023 | Interiors & Bathrooms Supplement inside

Auténtica Cocina
Adriana Cavita’s new recipe book, Cocina Mexicana, takes readers on
a culinary adventure around her home country. Packed with authentic
recipes inspired by her extensive travels, the celebrated chef and
restaurateur tells the story of her heritage and the people who taught her
to cook. Here we’ve chosen three recipes using ingredients that are a little
different to the day-to-day – tomatillos and nixtamalized corn flour
Recipes: Adriana Cavita Photographs: Clare Winfield
Roast chicken with
green mole
(Mole verde o pipián con pollo)
A green mole – from the
central area of Mexico – which
is given its distinctive bright
green colour through the
use of fresh green herbs.
Serves 4
• 1 whole chicken (1.2-
1.4kg), spatchcocked
For the marinade:
• ½ white onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• bunch of fresh coriander
• bunch of fresh parsley
• ½ jalapeño, seeds removed
• 50ml olive oil
For the green mole:
• 250ml olive oil
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1kg (about 8) poblano
chilli peppers, skin and seeds
removed – see Note below
(you can buy fresh poblanos
from riverford.co.uk)
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds,
lightly toasted
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns,
lightly toasted
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 250g pumpkin seeds
• 1kg tomatillos, husks
removed and cut into quarters
(you can buy fresh tomatillos
from riverford.co.uk)
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 2 tbsp sea salt
• 200g fresh coriander
• 200g fresh parsley
• 150g fresh mint
To serve:
• white rice
• warmed tortillas
• grilled or blanched green
vegetables (such as fine beans)
1. First, make the marinade.
Put all the ingredients for the
marinade and 100ml water in a
food processor or blender and blitz
until smooth. Place the chicken
on a plate. Rub the marinade all
over the chicken, ensuring it is
well coated. Cover and leave to
marinate overnight in the fridge.
2. Preheat the oven to
180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4 or prepare
the barbecue. Place the chicken
on a lined baking sheet and roast
in the preheated oven for about
30-45 minutes depending on the
size of the chicken or cook on a
hot grill, skin side down first, then
turn over to continue cooking.
3. Meanwhile, make the green
mole. Heat the oil in a saucepan
over a medium heat. Add the
onion and garlic and cook for
5 minutes or until they just
start to colour. Add the poblano
chillies and cook for about 5
minutes. Add all the spices, bay
leaves and pumpkin seeds and
cook for 5 minutes. Add the
tomatillos, stock and salt and
cook for a further 15 minutes.
Taste to check the seasoning,
adding more salt if needed.
4. Stir in the fresh herbs,
then transfer everything to a
food processor and blend to
a smooth sauce. Pass through
a fine-mesh sieve/strainer for
an even smoother sauce.
5. Spoon the green mole into
a serving dish and serve it with
the chicken pieces, rice, tortillas
and some grilled/broiled or
blanched green vegetables.
Notes:
To remove the skin from a
chilli or pepper, carefully hold
it over hot coals or an open
flame until the skin has charred
all over. Leave to cool, then
peel away the charred skin.
If you want to increase the
level of spice in this dish, you
can also add a jalapeño that has
been quartered when you add the
other chillies to the green mole.
In Mexico, traditionally the
chicken would be boiled in a
large saucepan of water with
some onion and garlic, but
roasting it in the oven or on a hot
barbecue gives a great flavour.
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