Mole Poblano Recipes

MOLE POBLANO

Steps:

• In an ungreased skillet, cook tomatoes over medium heat for 10 minutes or until browned; set aside. In the same skillet, cook peppers, a few at a time, over medium heat in 4 tablespoons shortening for 20-30 seconds, turning often; drain. Place peppers in a large bowl of hot water; cover and soak for 1 hour. , In a spice grinder, combine sesame seeds, coriander seeds, aniseed, peppercorns, cloves and cinnamon; process until finely ground. Set aside. , In a skillet, cook the almonds, pumpkin seeds and garlic in 4 tablespoons shortening until lightly browned, stirring often. Add raisins; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until raisins are plump. Add bread cubes; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until crisp. Drain well. , In a blender, combine 1 cup broth and reserved tomatoes; cover and puree. Add seasoning mixture, raisin mixture and 1 cup broth; blend until very thick. Pour into a bowl; set aside., Place 1-1/2 cups broth in blender. Add peppers, one at a time; process to a thick consistency. In a Dutch oven, melt remaining shortening over medium heat. Add pepper mixture; cook and stir for 10 minutes. Add tomato mixture; cook and stir for 6-8 minutes or until thickened. Add the chocolate, salt and remaining broth. Simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until mixture reaches desired consistency. Serve with poultry.

MOLE POBLANO

Steps:

• For the Lomo Saltado:
• Melt a little lard in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the halved onions and the 8 garlic cloves and cook until lightly browned. Remove from the pan and discard the onion. Reserve the garlic. In the infused lard, fry the roasted onions, roasted garlic, roasted tomatoes and tomatillos. Reserve.
• In another large skillet, add the sesame seeds, almonds, peanuts, raisins, prunes, plantains, coriander seeds, star anise and cinnamon, and toast until aromatic. Set aside.
• In a blender add the reserved garlic, the onion mixture, the nut mixture, croissants, tortilla pieces and the 1 1/2 quarts of chicken stock. Puree until a smooth mole forms. Transfer mole mixture to a large stock pot.
• Seed and devein the mulattos, anchos, pasillas and chipotles. Coat a large fry pan with lard. Add the chiles and saute until soft. Add the chiles to a blender and puree, then strain into the pot with the mole. Put the pot over low heat and add the chocolate and the sugar, stirring constantly. Stir in the remaining chicken stock, a little at a time, until the desired thickness of the mole is reached.

MOLE POBLANO

Steps:

• In a medium saute pan, toast sesame seeds and place in food processor. In same saute pan add oil and fry almonds. Remove almonds, place in food processor, and fry peanuts. Remove peanuts, place in food processor, and fry plantains. Remove plantains, place in food processor, and fry raisins. Remove raisins and place in food processor. Remove all but one tablespoon oil and fry tomatoes.
• In a food processor grind together sesame seeds, almonds, peanuts, plantains, raisins, tomatoes, poblanos, aniseeds, and cinnamon; this is the mole. Thin with left over chile water. In large saucepan, heat oil. Add mole and cook in oil to bring out flavors. Add chocolate. When melted, add pre-cooked turkey legs and simmer until the turkey is heated through.

MOLE POBLANO WITH CHICKEN WINGS

Steps:

• For the chiles: The day before making the mole, remove the stems and seeds from the chiles; rinse the chiles and pat dry. Heat the oil in a large skillet, then add the chiles (in batches if necessary) and fry until glossy, about 4 minutes. Drain and place in a Dutch oven. Cover with 10 cups hot water, then add the vinegar and let stand overnight, covered.
• The next day, drain the chiles, then pat dry and reserve the soaking liquid.
• For the mole sauce: Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat.
• Add the oil and chiles to a wok or a very large saute pan and turn the heat on medium-high heat. Once the oil is heated, remove the chiles to a plate, leaving the oil in the wok.
• Add the blanched almonds, peanuts, sesame seeds, pepitas, black peppercorns, anise seeds, cloves and cinnamon stick to the wok and toss to combine and toast, about 2 minutes.
• Grill the tomatoes, corn tortillas, bolillo roll and onion until each are charred on both sides. Remove from the pan and add directly to the toasted spices. Add the cocoa nibs, raisins, Mexican chocolate, mint and parsley and stir to combine, allowing the chocolate to melt.
• Carefully add the wok ingredients to a blender and slowly blend. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed with salt.
• Pour the sauce into a medium saucepan along with the chicken stock and 1/2 cup reserved chile liquid and turn the heat to medium. Once at a simmer, adjust the seasoning with salt.
• For the wings: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with foil and place an oven-safe rack on top of the foil. Coat the rack with cooking spray.
• Place the chicken wings in a large bowl along with the oil, cumin and smoked paprika and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss the wings until coated. Arrange the chicken wings in a single layer on the rack. Bake until crispy and golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Place the wings in a very large bowl and cover with the mole sauce. Carefully toss until each wing is evenly coated.
• Add the wings to a platter and top with the parsley and pomegranate seeds.

CHICKEN MOLE POBLANO

Steps:

• For the mole: Tear the ancho, anaheim, and chipotle chiles into large pieces and toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat until they change color a bit, about 2 minutes. Put them into a bowl with the raisins and cover them with hot water. Soak unti softened, about 30 minutes. In the same skillet over medium heat, add the almonds, sesame seeds, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, oregano, and thyme. Toast for 2 minutes, grind in a spice grinder, and add the powder to a blender. In the same skillet over medium-high heat add the olive oil, onions, garlic, and serrano. Cook until lightly browned, then add the tomatoes. Cook until vegetables are softened, about 10 to 15 minutes, then add to the blender. Add the chocolate and the soaked chiles and raisins to the blender along with some of the chile soaking liquid. Puree, adding more soaking liquid as needed, to make a smooth sauce. (This makes about 4 cups sauce, the recipe uses 2 cups, the extra can be frozen).
• Pour the lemon juice over the chicken and season it well with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet and brown the chicken on all sides; remove the browned chicken to a plate leaving the oil in the pan. Pour 2 cups of the mole sauce into the hot skillet and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and return the chicken pieces to the pan. Simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put the onion and radish slices into a bowl. Add the lime juice and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt. Mix well and serve with the chicken.
• Serve over cooked white rice with the onion and radish salad. Garnish everything with cilantro leaves.

MOLE POBLANO SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine dried chiles, tomatoes, onion, tortilla pieces, raisins, garlic, 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, cloves, and coriander in a bowl. Puree small amounts of this mixture in a blender until smooth.
• Melt shortening in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the puree and saute, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Add broth and chocolate, and cook over very low heat until sauce is very thick, about 45 minutes. Garnish with remaining sesame seeds.

CLASSIC MOLE POBLANO SAUCE WITH CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine the chiles, onion, garlic, tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of the sesame seeds, almonds, tortilla, raisins, cloves, cinnamon, and coriander. Puree small amounts of this mixture in a blender until smooth. (I added a small of amount of water or rum each time to make it smooth.).
• Melt the shortening in a skillet and sauté the puree for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chicken broth and chocolate and cook over a very low heat for 45 minutes. The sauce should be very thick. The remaining sesame seeds are used as a garnish.
• Season chicken breasts to taste and grill over low heat for about 25 minutes or until desired doneness. Ladle mole sauce over each breast and scatter the tops with warm corn kernels. Garnish with cilantro leaves, thin slices of tomatillo.

MOLE POBLANO

Steps:

• Poach the chicken in 2 quarts water with the onion, garlic, and salt. When cooked through, transfer the chicken to a plate and reserve the cooking liquid. Pour the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve and reserve. Remove and reserve the meat from the bones, discarding the bones and skin.
• On a comal or in a cast-iron skillet over moderately high heat, dry-roast the 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 the chiles to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, adding the reserved water as needed. Push the purée through a small mesh sieve and set aside.
• On a comal or in a cast-iron skillet over moderate heat, dry-roast the tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, and garlic. Remove from heat and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, peel the tomatoes and the garlic.
• In a small skillet, over moderately low heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the lard. Add the peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, and anise seeds and toast until fragrant. Remove from the heat.
• Using the remaining 4 tablespoons of lard, fry the raisins until they plump and change color. Remove with a slotted spoon. Continue the frying process with the almonds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, tortillas, bread, and reserved chile seeds, adding more lard if needed.
• In a blender or food processor, purée the roasted vegetables, spices, and fried ingredients in small batches, adding water as needed, to form a smooth purée. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside.
• In a Dutch oven over moderate heat, heat the canola oil until hot but not smoking. Fry the chile purée, stirring constantly until it changes color, about 8 minutes. Add the reserved vegetable and spice mixture. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until the mole thickens, about 1 hour. Add about 2 cups of the reserved chicken broth and simmer for 30 minutes. The mole should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the chocolate and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. Season to taste with salt and sugar, and add more chocolate if needed.
• To serve, ladle mole over the chicken until it is completely covered, then garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

POLLO MOLE POBLANO

Steps:

• In a medium bowl place the red chile powder, sesame seeds, almonds, crushed tortilla, raisins, garlic, anise seeds, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, tomatoes, salt, peppercorns, and 2 cups of the chicken stock. Mix the ingredients together and pour them into a blender. Puree the mixture until it is a thick paste.
• Place the other 3 cups of chicken stock in a medium large sauce pan and heat it. While stirring constantly, gradually add the blended paste. Bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat and add the chocolate. Simmer the sauce until the chocolate has melted and a thick gravy is formed.
• In a large saucepan, half filled with boiling water, place the chicken. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer the chicken for 15 minutes. Broil the chicken 5-10 minutes on each side or until it is nicely browned. Serve it with the sauce.