118 SEPTEMBER 2019
Chile-Cacao Spice Mix (recipe
p. 111), for serving
Corn tortillas and cooked long-
grain white rice, for serving- Place chicken drumsticks and thighs in
a large bowl, and season with 1 teaspoon
salt and ground pepper; set aside. - Cut 1 garlic head in half crosswise. Peel
cloves from remaining garlic head, and
set aside. Combine halved garlic head, 3
quarts water, cilantro bunch, spearmint
bunch, scallions, 2 onion halves, 2 tea-
spoons black peppercorns, 2 teaspoons
allspice, and 1 tablespoon salt in a large
stockpot. Bring to a boil over medium-
high. Reduce heat to medium-low, and
simmer 20 minutes. - Add chicken to pot; return to a boil over
high. Reduce heat to low, cover, and sim-
mer, skimming off and discarding foam
occasionally, until chicken is tender but
not falling apart, about 30 minutes.
Remove chicken pieces with a slotted
spoon, and transfer to a large bowl; cover
with plastic wrap until ready to use. Pour
broth through a fine wire-mesh strainer
into a bowl (you should have about 9 cups
of broth); discard solids. Wipe stockpot
clean, and return strained broth to pot;
set aside. - Heat a large cast-iron skillet over
medium-high 2 minutes. Reduce heat to
medium; add cinnamon stick, remaining 1
teaspoon peppercorns, and remaining 1
teaspoon allspice. Cook, stirring con-
stantly, until fragrant, about 15 seconds.
Transfer to plate; let cool 5 minutes. Add
pepitas and sesame seeds to skillet; cook,
stirring constantly, until lightly toasted,
about 40 seconds. Transfer to a plate; let
cool 5 minutes. Process cinnamon mix-
ture in a spice grinder until finely ground,
about 15 seconds; transfer to a small
bowl. Working in batches, add pepita mix-
ture to spice grinder, and process until
finely ground, about 15 seconds. Transfer
to a separate small bowl. - Add half of the tomatoes, half of the
tomatillos, and 1 onion half to skillet. Cook
over medium-high, turning occasionally,
until lightly charred, about 10 minutes.
Transfer tomato mixture to a blender.
Repeat with remaining tomatoes, remain-
ing tomatillos, and remaining onion half.
Add roasted bell pepper, peeled garlic
cloves, and ground cinnamon mixture to
blender. Process on low speed, gradually
increasing speed to high, until mixture is
smooth, about 40 seconds. - Stir tomato mixture into strained
chicken broth in pot. Bring to a boil over
2 medium-size sour oranges, juiced
(about^1 / 2 cup juice) (see Note)
3 (8-oz.) bunches fresh spinach,
washed, stems removed
2 (1^1 / 2 - to 2-lb.) whole fish (such as
rockfish), cleaned and scaled
Cooked jasmine rice, for serving- Preheat oven to 325°F. Place shallot,
peppercorns, garlic, ginger, turmeric,
lemongrass, lime leaves, salt, and sugar
in a food processor, and pulse until finely
minced, about 10 times. Heat 3 table-
spoons coconut oil in a large skillet over
medium-high. Add shallot mixture, and
cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant,
about 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl;
stir in orange juice. Set aside. - Heat remaining 1 teaspoon coconut oil
in skillet over medium-high. Add spinach,
and cook, stirring often, until just wilted,
about 1 minute. - Place half of wilted spinach in a 13- x
9-inch glass baking dish. Place fish on top
of spinach. Tuck remaining wilted spinach
around fish. Spread orange juice mixture
evenly over fish and into fish cavities.
Cover dish with parchment paper and
aluminum foil. - Bake in preheated oven until fish is just
cooked through, 40 to 50 minutes. Serve
with jasmine rice. —PREETI MISTRY
WINE D r y, citrusy Riesling: 2017 Jim
Barry The Lodge Hill
NOTE Substitute 6 tablespoons fresh
orange juice and 2 tablespoons fresh
lime juice if sour oranges are not
available.
Huacatay Dipping Sauce
PHOTO P. 109
ACTIVE 10 MIN; TOTAL 40 MIN
MAKES ABOUT 1^2 / 3 CUPSHuacatay, or Peruvian black mint, is
related to the marigold. It’s hard to come
by fresh in the States, but the jarred paste
is smooth and creamy with notes of green
tea; look for it online or in Latin markets.(^1) / 4 cup neutral oil (such as grapeseed)
(^1) / 4 cup roughly chopped red onion
1 jalapeño, seeded and sliced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
(^3) / 4 cup huacatay paste
4 oz. cream cheese (about^1 / 2 cup),
at room temperature
(^1) / 4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
(^1) / 4 cup loosely packed fresh mint
leaves, chopped
- Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium.
Add onion, jalapeño, and garlic; cook, stir-
ring occasionally, until tender, about 4 min-
utes. Stir in huacatay paste. Remove from
heat, and let cool to room temperature,
about 30 minutes. - Transfer huacatay mixture to a blender;
process until smooth, about 30 seconds.
Add cream cheese, lime juice, and mint;
process until fully incorporated, about 30
seconds. —STEPHANIE IZARD
Mayan Pepita-Chicken Stew
ACTIVE 1 HR 25 MIN; TOTAL 3 HR 30 MIN
SERVES 6Kak-ik, a rustic turkey or chicken stew, is
seasoned with a mix of toasted seeds and
spices, which are ground into a coarse
paste with roasted tomatoes and tomatil-
los. Stirred into the stew toward the end of
the cooking process, the paste both thick-
ens and seasons this warming fall dish.2 lb. chicken drumsticks
2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
41 / 4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
2 garlic heads, divided
3 qt. water
1 large bunch fresh cilantro
1 bunch fresh spearmint
1 small bunch scallions, green parts
cut into 3-inch pieces
2 medium-size white onions, ends
trimmed, peeled, and cut in half
crosswise, divided
1 Tbsp. black peppercorns, divided
1 Tbsp. whole allspice, divided
1 (3-inch) Ceylon cinnamon stick,
broken into small pieces(^1) / 4 cup raw pepitas
2 Tbsp. white sesame seeds
1 lb. small plum tomatoes, cored
(^1) / (^2) lb. fresh tomatillos, husks removed
1 jarred roasted red bell pepper,
coarsely chopped (about^1 / 2 cup)
2 tsp. achiote paste
Chopped fresh cilantro and mint, for
garnish PHOTOGRAPHY: GREG DUPREE; FOOD STYLING: MARION COOPER CAIRNS; PROP STYLING: THOM DRIVER