When you come to Guadalajara Grill Tucson and join us for our Culinary Tour of Mexico, you are always going to be in for a surprise. There are just so many incredible hidden gems among the diverse dishes that make up Mexico’s rich culinary tradition, and we could never possibly hope to do them all justice. But this dish is truly special.
Mexican food in Tucson does not need to be predictable, and Pipian Verde is one dish that definitely proves that point. It is one of the the most incredible and unimaginably complex yet simple Mexican sauces you could ever find. So, how can something be simple and complex at the same time? It all depends on how you look at it. Come join us. Taste it for yourself. Then try it at home!
Pipian is a simple mole that emphasizes the nuts or seeds that are blended in to thicken the sauce. Green pipian offers fresh oven roasted and tangy green chiles, onions and tomatillos and bright fresh greens and herbs to counterbalance the richness of the fish. This sauce also makes a good vegetarian dish; chayotes, pototoes, eggplant would all be a suitable replacement for the fish. Chicken or pork also work well with this versatile sauce.
Main Ingredients:
- 8 whitefish fillets (we used sea bass)
- 2 Mexican or Zucchini squash
- Salt, pepper, butter or oil
- Queso fresco or Manchego cheese
For the Nut & Seed Mixture:
- 2 oz. unsalted sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup unsalted roasted almonds
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 jar sesame seeds
- 1 corn tortilla
- Cloves, salt, pepper
For the Fresh Greens Mixture:
- 1 bunch of Cilantro
- 1 Bunch of Romaine Lettuce
For the Tangy Mixture:
- 5 Tomatilllo green tomatoes
- 3 Poblano Chiles
- 3 Serrano Chiles
- 1 Onion
- 1 clove of garlic
Preparation:
- In a hot lightly oiled frying pan, toast the Nut & Seed Mixture. Do not burn! Food process to into a powder, leaving some small pieces for texture.
- Blend the Fresh Greens to a liquid
- Cut into pieces and toss the ingredients in the “Tangy” mixture in oil, and broil in an oven dish until the skin of the chiles begins to crack. Remove and deskin the chiles. Blend the ingredients to liquid
- Fold the 3 separate mixtures together in a sauce pan, and simmer on low heat
- Pan fry the fish in butter, salt and pepper to taste, 5 minutes on each side or until they flake easily. Add in the diced squash in the last 3 minutes
- Serve the fish on a bed of the diced squash. Ladle the Pipian Verde sauce over the fish generously.
- Accompany with White Rice, Black Beans & Salad garnish
- Serves: 6
