Mole Poblano
Mole recipes tend to make a lot of mole, and this is no exception. One of the traditional foods of Mexico, mole poblano is popular all over the world, too. It has a rich, dark color and it is flavored with chocolate. Our taste testers loved the rich, intense flavors. They thought this mole was delicious, especially on the chicken we served it with.
Mole poblano is a dish to mark celebration in Mexican culture. You will find this mole at weddings, anniversary celebrations and birthday parties. Women usually make moles and pass their recipes down to their daughters. Making a mole is a big event, and this recipe is no exception. There are lots of ingredients and each one must be handled differently. This is maybe not something to make on a Friday night after a long week, but instead it can be made over the weekend when you have a little time. It’s perfect for those times when you want to make a lot of food before a party or event. In Mexico you may find people preparing moles at the beginning of the week to last until the following weekend. Mole poblano lasts a long time, and it can sit for a while. This recipe makes quite a bit of mole, so you may even want to half it from the get go.
Chicken stock was used in this recipe, since we had known ahead of time that we were serving it with chicken. You can make this a vegetarian meal by replacing the chicken stock with vegetable stock. If you want a different meat, you can swap the chicken for beef or even turkey. Serve with vegetables, fresh homemade tortillas, and some rice for a hearty feast.
- For the Chicken:
- 2 Thigh-leg chicken quarters, rinsed
- 1 medium onion, halved
- 5 cloves garlic
- Kosher Salt to taste
- For the Mole:
- 4 Mulato Chiles, wiped clean, seeds and veins removed, and seeds reserved
- 2 Ancho Chiles, wiped clean, seeds and veins removed, and seeds reserved
- 3 Dried Pasilla Chiles, wiped clean, seeds and veins removed, and seeds reserved
- 1 Chipotle Morita Chiles, wiped clean, seeds and veins removed, and seeds reserved
- 2 roma tomatoes, cut into quarters
- 3 tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and cut into quarters
- 1 small onion, halved
- 2 small cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 3 Tablespoons vegetable shortening
- 5 Black Peppercorns
- 2 Whole Cloves
- 1 Ceylon Cinnamon Stick
- 1/4 teaspoon Coriander Seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon Anise Seeds
- 1 teaspoon raisins
- 10 whole almonds, blanched
- 1-1/2 Tablespoon pumpkin seeds
- 1 stale corn tortilla
- 3 slices thick, stale bread(baguettes work great)
- 2 ounces Mexican chocolate
- Kosher Salt to taste
- 1/4 cup Toasted Sesame Seeds plus up to an additional 1/4 cup for garnish
- Up to a 1/2 cup sugar, as needed to taste
- Poach the chicken in 2 quarts of water with the onion, garlic, and salt. When cooked through, transfer the chicken to a plate and reserve the liquid. Strain broth, and remove meat from bones, set aside.
- In a cast iron skillet over moderately high heat, dry roast the Dried Chiles, flipping occasionally, until they start to blister and change color. Transfer the Chiles to a bowl of hot water and soak for 15 minutes. Drain the chiles and reserve the water then transfer to a food processor and process until smooth. Push the puree through a mesh strainer, adding the reserved water as needed. Set aside.
- In a cast iron skillet over moderate heat, dry roast the tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, and garlic. Remove from heat and let cool. Once cooled, peel the tomatoes and garlic.
- In a small cast iron skillet over low heat, add 1 Tablespoon of oil. Add the peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon stick, coriander seeds, and anise seeds and toast until fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Add the remaining oil into pan and fry the raisins until plump and color has changed. Remove with a slotted spoon. Continue frying process with the almonds, pumpkin seeds, Toasted Sesame Seeds, tortilla, reserved chile seeds, and stale bread.
- In a food processor, puree the roasted vegetables, spices, and fried ingredients in small batches, adding water as needed to form a smooth puree. Strain and and set aside.
- In a Dutch oven over moderate heat, heat oil. Fry the chile puree, stirring constantly until it changes color, about 8 minutes. Add the vegetable and spice mixture. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently for about an hour. Add about 1 cup of reserved chicken broth and simmer for an additional 30 minutes. The mole should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Ad the chocolate and cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt and sugar and add more chocolate if desired.
- Ladle mole over chicken as desired and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve!
