Salmon in Luxurious Green Sesame Pipián (Salmón en Pipián Verde de Ajonjolí)
Mexican Everyday
Ingredients
2 cups store-bought tomatillo salsa or 2 cups Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
Salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 heaping cup peas (fresh or frozen)
Four 4- to 5-ounce (1 to 1 1/4 pounds total) skinless fish fillets (such as salmon, halibut, walleye, snapper or striped bass)—buy about 1 1/2 pounds if using fish steaks
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, for garnish
About 1/4 cup (loosely packed) chopped cilantro, for garnish
Description
In Mexico, pipián is a simple mole that emphasizes the nuts or seeds that are blended in to thicken the sauce. Where mole is an exuberant symphony orchestra, pipián is a lively string quartet. The seed that has traditionally thickened a sauce like this since pre-Columbian times is Mexico’s native pumpkin seed. After centuries of trade between Acapulco and Southeast Asia (for three centuries, most goods destined for Europe from Asia traveled from the Philippines to Acapulco, then overland to Veracruz and overseas to European ports), the Asian sesame seed found a home in Mexico’s pipián—making it super-creamy, wonderfully aromatic and deliciously toasty-nutty (although a little hard to pull off, since sesame seeds are hard to blend to a smooth puree). But with a good-quality bottled tomatillo salsa and a jar of tahini, dinner’s only moments away.
Directions
In a blender or food processor, process the salsa to a smooth puree. Heat the oil in a very large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high. When it is quite hot, add the salsa all at once. Stir as the salsa reduces to the consistency of tomato paste, about 5 minutes. Stir in the broth and tahini. Return to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer 10 minutes. Taste and season with salt, usually about 1/2 teaspoon, and a little sugar. (The sugar will help balance the natural tartness of the salsa.)
While the sauce is simmering, pour the peas into a microwaveable bowl, sprinkle on a tablespoon of water, cover with plastic wrap and poke a couple of holes in the top. Microwave on high (100%) until the peas are hot and tender, anywhere from 1 minute for frozen peas to 4 or 5 minutes for fresh peas; discard water.
When the sauce has simmered for 10 minutes, nestle the fish fillets in it, completely submerging them. Continue simmering gently until the fish flakes when pressed firmly, usually 5 to 6 minutes for 1/2-inch-thick fillets. (Check it by lifting up a fillet on a metal spatula and pressing it with your finger or the back of a spoon.)
Transfer a fish fillet to each dinner plate. Spoon a portion of the sauce over the top. Strew with the peas, sesame seeds and cilantro, and you’re ready for dinner.
Riffs on Green Pipián
You can replace the peas with a couple of medium-large red-skin boiling or Yukon Gold potatoes cut into eighths (microwave them until tender, about 8 minutes). I like to mix the potatoes into the sauce after transferring the fillets to the dinner plates. A can of white beans makes a great replacement for the peas; drain and rinse them before adding them to the sauce, as I describe for the potatoes. This dish is also wonderful made with boneless, skinless chicken breasts or semi-boneless quail: poach the birds in the sauce as described or, for added flavor, brown them in oil in the large skillet, then remove them and, without washing the skillet, cook down the pureed salsa. Tahini is an easy addition because it’s smoothly ground, but you can use the very traditional pumpkin seeds or almonds or peanuts: Puree them with the salsa, but stir carefully as you cook the mixture down to a paste (it will stick more easily than the salsa alone). After the sauce has simmered 10 minutes, it will likely be quite coarse looking; reblend the hot sauce in a loosely covered blender to smooth it out.
VEGETARIAN GREEN PIPIÁN: Prepare the sauce with vegetable broth, and serve with 4 to 6 cups roasted, steamed or grilled vegetables for a really delicious meal. Grilled vegetables—along with grilled tofu—are my favorite with this green pipián. Mexican white rice is my accompaniment of choice.