Rezept: Pato en Mole Verde de Pepita - Duck in a Green Pumpkin Seed Mole

Zubereitung:

It is recorded that at the time of the Spanish conquest Montezuma and the other rulers were eating stews or chiles mixed with tomatös and pumpkin seeds; long before that the Mayas to the south were cultivating pumpkins and using the seeds in their food. Pato en Mole Verde de Pepita has a lovely, smooth, pale green sauce, thickened with pumpkin seeds and subtly flavored with herbs - a trü classic of the cuisine of central Mexico.

This is not a traditional way of cooking a duck in mole: it is either boiled first or put raw to cook in the sauce. But the method I give enhances the flavor enormously. Of course you could substitute a chicken but that would have to be poached as the flesh is too soft for braising and would then fall apart in the mole.

Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).

Put the giblets with the vegetables and seasonings into a large pan, cover them with water, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours.

Heat a casserole well and brown the duck all over, pricking the skin (not the flesh) to render out the fat from the layer underneath it. Drain off the excess fat from time to time and reserve. Cover the casserole with a tightly fitting lid and braise the duck, about 40 minutes, depending on how tender the duck is.

Set the duck aside to cool a little, then cut into serving pieces. Skim the fat from the juices in the casserole and reserve and add the juices to the giblet broth. There should be about 5 cups (1.25 l); if not, add water to make up to that amount.

In an ungreased skillet, toast the pumpkin seeds about 5 minutes, stirring them from time to time until they swell-but do not let them brown. Set aside to cool, then grind them in a coffee/spice grinder together with the peppercorns and cumin.

Put the ground ingredients into a bowl and stir in the 1 cup (250 ml) broth until you have a smooth sauce. Set it aside.

Blend the tomate verde with the chiles, onion, and garlic until smooth. Add the greens and blend a little at a time until almost smooth, and set aside.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the reserved duck fat in a casserole and fry the ground ingredients over low heat, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to avoid sticking (it will quickly scorch), about 5 minutes.

Gradually stir in the blended ingredients and cook over low heat, stirring from time to time for about 10 minutes. Dilute with 2 cups (500 ml) of broth and continü cooking over very low heat for 10 more minutes. Adjust salt to taste.

Gradually add the rest of the broth. Let the sauce heat through, still over very low heat. When it is cooked, the mole should cover rather thickly the back of a wooden spoon. Add the duck pieces and just warm them through.

Serve immediately. I do not recommend freezing.

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