Chicken with Caper Sauce

Name: Chicken with Caper Sauce (Alcaparrado de Pollo)
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: ⅛ teaspoon saffron threads; 3 cloves; 4 black peppercorns; 1½ cups warm Caldo de Pollo; 1 chicken (3½ pounds), cut into serving pieces; Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste; 1 piece (1 inch) true (Ceylon) cinnamon or ¼ teaspoon ground U.S. “cinnamon”; 1½ tablespoons olive oil; ½ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano; 6 ounces capers (2 small jars, with brine); 3 ounces shelled raw pumpkin seeds (about ¾ cup); 5 to 6 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 small onion, coarsely chopped (about ½ cup); 1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped; 1 small crusty roll, cut into slices

Alcaparrado de Pollo

Preparation info

4
servings

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Food from My Heart

By Zarela Martínez

Published 1992

About

In this traditional Oaxacan sauce the capers have a surprisingly delicate effect in combination with the toasted pumpkin seeds, saffron, and aromatic seasonings. Ideally it would be made with Oaxacan oregano.

Ingredients

⅛ teaspoon saffron threads
1½ cups warm Caldo de Pollo
5 to 6

Americas
Mexico
Sauce
Main course

Method

Crumble the saffron threads into the chicken stock and let steep a few minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat until very hot but not quite smoking. Add the pumpkin seeds (carefully, since they tend to pop violently as they hit the hot o