PIPIAN SAUCE RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat a heavy Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat and add the pumpkin seeds. Wait until you hear one pop, then stir constantly until they have puffed and popped, and smell toasty. They should not get any darker than golden or they will taste bitter. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.
• Place the cooled pumpkin seeds in a blender and add the tomatillos, chiles, lettuce, onion, garlic, cilantro, and 1/2 cup of the chicken stock. Cover the blender and blend the mixture until smooth, stopping the blender to stir if necessary.
• Heat the oil in the Dutch oven or heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Drizzle in a bit of the pumpkin seed mixture and if it sizzles, add the rest. Cook, stirring, until the mixture darkens and thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. It will splutter, so be careful. Hold the lid of the pot above the pot to shield you and your stove from the splutters. Add the remaining chicken stock, bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring often, until the sauce is thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt. For a silkier sauce, blend again in batches.

Steps:

• Marinade: Preheat oven to 350°F. Boil water in a teakettle. In a small baking dish, toast chiles for 3 minutes. Remove pan from oven and pour boiling water over chiles, weighing them down with silverware to submerge; soak for 20 minutes, then drain. Reserve 6 chiles for Pipian Sauce. In a blender or food processor, combine chiles with remaining marinade ingredients and blend until smooth. Turkey: Season turkey with salt and pepper inside and out. Using your fingers, gently separate breast skin from meat as far down toward the thighs as you can, being careful not to tear skin. Gently fill space between breast meat and skin with half of marinade, massaging skin to coat meat evenly. Gently rub remaining marinade inside turkey cavity. Refrigerate turkey 12 to 24 hours to marinate. An hour before roasting, remove turkey from refrigerator to bring to room temperature. Preheat oven to 325°F. Defrost frozen banana leaves in oven for 2 minutes to soften. Place leaves in roasting pan. Set turkey on top of leaves and fold them over to cover bird completely (to keep it moist). Roast turkey in oven until tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. During last 45 minutes, remove banana leaves and baste turkey with melted butter. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving. Serve with Pipian Sauce. Pipian Sauce: Preheat oven to 350°F. In a pan, toast sesame seeds in oven for 5 to 7 minutes, until golden brown, shaking pan once or twice to ensure even browning; set aside. In a blender or food processor, combine chiles, tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, cloves, and cinnamon; blend until smooth. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, heat oil. When oil ripples, add chile-tomato mixture, stirring until aromatic. Add stock as needed to create a smooth, thick sauce. Add sesame seeds, salt, and sugar and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve hot with sliced turkey.