The Talk: Aaron Sanchez Chicken Pepian Recipe + Chile Salt Margarita

The Talk: Chef Aaron Sanchez

Chef Aaron Sanchez visited The Talk with his Chicken Pepian Recipe, plus a margarita to go with it. Check out these recipes from The Talk Food Festival.

Sanchez is chef and owner of Paloma in Stamford, Connecticut, as well as the upcoming Johnny Sanchez restaurant in Baltimore.

The Talk: Chile Salt Margarita Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz Blue Agave Tequila
• 3/4 oz Agave Nectar
• 1 oz fresh Lemon Juice
• 3/4 oz Triple Orange Liqueur
• 1 oz fresh Lime Juice
• Roasted Chile Pasilla Salt

Directions

1. Shake ingredients over ice in a shaker.
2. Serve on the rocks in a glass rimmed with chile salt.

The Talk: Aaron Sanchez Chicken Pepian Recipe Ingredients

You may think mole means chocolate, but Sanchez explained that mole simply acts as a thickening agent. In this case, it teams up with pumpkin seeds to make a delicious sauce.

To make a brick weight, completely wrap a brick in foil so it presses down on the meat and keeps the chicken skin in constant contact with the skillet, for a crispy finish.

• 2 halved Spanish Onions
• 2 Serrano Chiles
• 1 tbsp Star Anise Seeds
• 1 bunch Parsley
• 2 bunches Epazote
• 12 peeled Tomatillos
• 6 cloves peeled Garlic
• 1 quart shelled Pumpkin Seeds
• 5 pieces Mexican Cinnamon
• 1 bunch Cilantro
• 1 portioned 4 lb Chicken
• Sugar
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper

Aaron Sanchez: The Talk Chicken Pepian Recipe Directions

1. Preheat your oven at 400 F.
2. Combine tomatillos, garlic, onions, and serranos on a sheet pan.
3. Season with olive oil, salt and pepper.
4. Roast 20 minutes to char outsides.
5. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth.
6. Combine pumpkin seeds with star anise and cinnamon on a sheet pan.
7. Toast these at 400 F for about 10 minutes; reserve.
8. Blanch and then shock parsley with epazote and cilantro.
9. Puree in a food processor or blender with a little olive oil.
10. Puree pumpkin seed mix and add in the onion mix.
11. Add two tablespoons of herb puree.
12. Sear half chicken in a saute pan for about three minutes.
13. Put in the oven under a roasting brick for about 12 minutes.
14. Once cooked and cooled, break into breast, leg, and thigh.
15. Plate with a spoonful of sauce mixture and garnish with pumpkin seed mixture.