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Recipe courtesy of Chef Ana García, founder and chef at La Villa Bonita Mexican Culinary Vacation. 

Serves 8. Preparation time: 30 minutes

32	U-8  shrimp, no heads and peeled (tails left on)
8	cups of chicken stock
2¼	pounds of tomatillos, de-husked and washed
3½	ounces pepitas  (green squash seeds)
2	serrano chiles or 1 jalapeño chile
½	cup epazote leaves
2	cups cilantro
1/3	cups lard or vegetable oil (here you can get away with using the vegetable oil!)
1	garlic clove peeled
2	tablespoons of olive oil
	Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. Roast the tomatillos along with the chiles in a roasting pan until well-cooked.

2. In a saucepan, dry roast the pepitas. Cook until the seeds turn puffy.

3. Blend the roasted tomatillos, chiles, pepitas, epazote, cilantro, and some chicken stock in a blender until smooth. Add more stock if needed.

Chef Ana García offers classes on Mexican cuisine at La Villa Bonita, in Tepoztlán, Morelos. Photo: Courtesy Chef Ana García

4. Add the lard or cooking oil and heat in a deep pot or cazuela. Add the blended mixture and lower the heat to medium. Cook until the sauce can coat the back of a spoon. Salt to taste. 

5. Make sure the shrimp are completely dry by patting them with a paper towel. Add salt and pepper. 

6. In a skillet, add the olive oil and garlic clove. Cook until crisp. Take the garlic clove out of the oil and discard. Place enough shrimp in the skillet to cover the entire surface of the pan. Cook until they are pink and firm. Continue this process until all are cooked. 

7. Place the pipian sauce on the bottom of a plate. Top with the shrimp.