Mole Poblano

Ingredients

  • 1 chicken cut into pieces
  • 8 cups of water
  • 1 corn tortilla
  • 1 slice of day-old bread
  • 1 ½ cup dried chilies (ancho, mulato, pasilla) lightly fried in oil
  • 1 small white onion
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1 cup peanuts
  • 1 cup almonds
  • ½ cup pumpkin seeds
  • ½ cup sesame seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3 cloves, whole
  • 3 large black peppercorns, or 5 small
  • 1 disc of Mexican table chocolate
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 chicken bouillon cubes
  • 3 ½ tablespoon vegetable or pork lard
  • 2 tablespoon salt

Instructions

  1. Place the chicken in a large pot and cover with water (about an inch above the chicken). Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes until no longer pink inside. Remove the chicken and set aside, reserving the broth.

  2. While the chicken cooks, cut the tops off the dried chilis and remove seeds and veins. In a large pot (preferably clay), heat lard or oil over medium-high heat. Add the chilis in batches, frying for about a minute until they darken. Drain and reserve the chilis.

  3. In the same pot, add another tablespoon of lard. Once melted, add almonds, peanuts, and pumpkin seeds. Toast, stirring constantly for about two minutes, then drain and set aside.

  4. Next, fry the bread in the pot for about a minute until dark brown. Remove and set aside.

  5. Fry the garlic cloves until golden, then remove. Add a cinnamon stick and fry until darkened, then remove.

  6. Fry raisins for about 30 seconds until plump, then drain.

  7. In a blender, combine the fried chilis, toasted nuts and seeds (half reserved), fried bread, garlic, cinnamon stick, plumped raisins, and salt. Purée, adding reserved chicken broth as needed for a smooth paste. The paste should be deep reddish-brown. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

  8. In the same pot, toast sesame seeds for 30 seconds, then add peppercorns, cloves, and coriander seeds. Cook until darkened. Transfer to the blender with the broken-up fried tortilla and the remaining reserved nuts and seeds. Blend until smooth.

  9. Cut the onion into slices and sauté in ½ tablespoon lard until golden. Blend until smooth and add to the pot with the second batch of nut and seed paste. Stir in half of the mole paste, breaking up the Mexican chocolate into the pot, and adding chicken bouillon cubes until melted. Stir in the remaining mole paste and chicken stock to reach desired consistency (medium thickness).

  10. Simmer over medium heat until reduced by about an inch. Add the cooked chicken, turning to coat with the mole sauce.

  11. For serving, plate pieces of chicken, spoon over mole sauce, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Enjoy your mole poblano with shredded chicken!

 

Click here to find out more. --> How to Make Authentic Mole Poblano with Chicken (mexicanfoodjournal.com)