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This recipe is not a "classic" mole (pronounced "moh-lay") but rather an adaptation of the Poblano and Oaxacan versions.
Ingredients:
3 Ancho chiles
3 Pasilla chiles
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 3" stick of cinnamon
½ tsp cloves
1 tsp aniseeds, or 2 star anise
1 tsp cumin seeds
25 gms sesame seeds
1 medium onion, diced
2 tomatoes and/or 1 tomatillo (I didn't have any tomatillo, so omitted), diced
½ ripe plantain, diced
5 cloves garlic
50 gms raisins
50 gms peanuts
50 gms almonds
50 gms sunflower or pumpkin seeds
25 gms pecans
1 stale corn tortilla, broken into pieces
1 slice stale bread, broken into pieces
50 gms panela/papelón (Mexican or Venezuelan raw cane sugar)
25 gms dark chocolate (70%), broken into pieces
Oil (or preferably, lard) for cooking
1/2 litre water
1 litre chicken stock
Salt to taste
Method:
Ingredients:
3 Ancho chiles
3 Pasilla chiles
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 3" stick of cinnamon
½ tsp cloves
1 tsp aniseeds, or 2 star anise
1 tsp cumin seeds
25 gms sesame seeds
1 medium onion, diced
2 tomatoes and/or 1 tomatillo (I didn't have any tomatillo, so omitted), diced
½ ripe plantain, diced
5 cloves garlic
50 gms raisins
50 gms peanuts
50 gms almonds
50 gms sunflower or pumpkin seeds
25 gms pecans
1 stale corn tortilla, broken into pieces
1 slice stale bread, broken into pieces
50 gms panela/papelón (Mexican or Venezuelan raw cane sugar)
25 gms dark chocolate (70%), broken into pieces
Oil (or preferably, lard) for cooking
1/2 litre water
1 litre chicken stock
Salt to taste
Method:
- Toast the chile peppers in a frying pan/skillet, until they begin to swell and smoke. Remove to a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave to soak for 30 minutes.
- In the same pan, lightly toast the oregano, cinnamon, peppercorns, cloves, aniseed,cumin and sesame seeds, until they change colour. Remove and cool.
- Now toast the peanuts, almonds, sunflower seeds and pecans until they change colour. Remove and cool.
- Heat the water in a small pan, when it begins to simmer, add the panela and stir until it dissolves. Now add the chocolate and stir continuously until it dissolves in the sugar solution. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool.
- In a large pan, heat the oil/lard and, when hot, add the onion and cook until soft. Now add the garlic and the plantains and cook until the plantains start to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes (and a tomatillo, if you have one) and stir through for another 3-4 minutes.
- Throw in the tortilla and the bread, stir once or twice, then add half the stock. add the raisins. Cook on medium for about 3-4 minutes then set aside.
- Now it's blender/spice grinder time! Pour the chiles and the soaking water into a blender and blend on high until you have a smooth paste/liquid. Set the chile mixture aside.
- In the same blender, zap the onion/tomato/plantain/raisin mixture to a smooth paste. Return to the pan and add the chile mixture and the chocolate mixture.
- Place the spices in a spice grinder (or grind in a molcajete/mortar) until you have a fine powder. Add to the pan.
- In the same grinder, put the nuts in ( little by little) and grind to a paste. Add to the pan. Add the rest of the chicken stock and the water.
- Bring the mole to a boil, stirring frequently, and then lower to medium-low. Add 1-2 tsps salt Cook the mole for about 30 - 40 minutes, until the sauce thickens, stirring frequently so the sauce doesn't burn on the bottom. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Serve with turkey, chicken, pork or prawns/shrimp - whichever protein you prefer. Typically, in Puebla, it's served with turkey or chicken.
