Green mole with roasted chayote

Peel the chayotes, split in half along the indentation, pry out the seed and cut each half into three wedges.

Toss the wedges with enough olive oil to coat completely and a sprinkling of salt.

Arrange in a single layer in a baking dish lined with a silicone mat or parchment.

Roast at 425 degrees about an hour, flipping at about 30 minutes and checking from about 50 minutes.

Roast the poblano over a high gas flame on a rack (or close under a broiler), turning, until the skin is blistered and blackened all over and the flesh just softened.

Cool at room temperature, rub off the skin, rinse briefly, pull out the stem and seed pod, and roughly cut it into the blender jar.

Husk and halve the tomatillos; halve 4 peeled garlic cloves; cut half a large onion crosswise.

Put them in a pot with 2 cups of water and a teaspoon of salt, bring to a full boil, then reduce and simmer covered about 7 minutes, until the tomatillos turn from lime green to olive.

Over medium heat in a dry pan, toast the hulled sesame seeds a couple of minutes, tossing, until golden; do not let them go dark. Add to the blender with the toasted pumpkin seeds.

Grind the cumin, Mexican oregano and black pepper fine in a molcajete and add to the blender.

Add a gently packed cup of fresh herbs, cilantro and epazote with the tough stems torn off.

Drain the tomatillo mixture, saving the broth, and add the solids to the blender.

Blend as smooth as possible, with the centre piece of the lid removed so steam can escape.

Heat a film of olive oil over medium high until a drop sizzles fiercely, pour in the puree and stir over medium 7 or 8 minutes until thickened, keeping the colour bright.

Stir in about a cup and a half of the reserved broth, partly cover, and simmer over medium to medium low about 20 minutes.

Sprinkle the roasted chayote with cilantro.

Thin the mole with the rest of the broth to the consistency of a cream soup and season with salt, tasting more than once.

Line the chayote up on a platter, ladle over the green mole, and garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds and flat leaf parsley.