Mexico, Mole Poblano recipe

Mexican chillies
learning about Mexican chillies
One of the most elaborate pepper sauces in Latin America,  mole poblano de  Santa Rosa is the king of moles. A recipe based on Spanish and pre-Columbian cooking, it reflects the the colonial Mexican style with spices from the Mediterranean, local Mexican chillies, balanced with sweetness, sour and savouries with Moro elements.

 

Mole Poblano

Mole Poblano with turkey and pickled onions

Mole Poblano is made of : dried chillies ( I bought the chillies at Borough Market, London), spices that add aroma and flavor; nuts and seeds that act as thickening agents and add richness; bread gives body to the sauce, vegetables (onions, tomates, tomatillos*), garlic are bases of sofrito, they add body too. Dried or fresh fruits gives the mole body and sweetness. Chocolate or cocoa nibs and sugar important flavouring ingredients, added at the last stage of cooking, note that not all moles
contain chocolate. Liquid (broth) dilute the paste ready to be used on final dishes.
Mole is used as sauces for meats like turkey and chicken, as dip for tortillas, to flavour tamales or empanadas and why not add a spoon to a duck dish?  This sauce is so luxurious and complex that it’s usually made for special occasions  like weddings, baptism or birthdays.
Mole is a labour of love, so make lots and keep some for special occasions or as a treat, if you can resist it!  It’s not too complicated but has a few steps so mise en place is highly recommended.

Mole Poblano recipe

Makes: about 1kg of thick, smooth velvety sauce

 

Ingredients

(Reserve the seeds from all chillies)

60g chilli anchos, about 4-5, stemmed and seeded

60g chilli pasillas, about 10, stemmed and seeded

60g chilli mulatos, about 4, stemmed and seeded

10g dried chipotle chillis, about 4, stemmed and seeded

1/4 white onion, roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tablespoons raw almonds with skin

1 tablespoons raw shelled peanuts

2 tablespoons raisins

1 tablespoon of dates

1/2 tablespoon pumpkin seeds

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1/4 cup reserved chilli seeds

3 whole cloves, stemmed

1/4 teaspoon anise seeds

1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds

1/3 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1/2 stick cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

pinch of dried thyme

pinch of cumin seeds

pinch dried marjoram

150g tomatoes, charred or roasted

130g tomatillos, about 2, husked, rinsed, charred/roasted*

1 corn tortilla, sliced in 8 pieces

1/4 baguette, about 30g, thickly sliced and

80g bittersweet chocolate (min 70% cocoa) or cocoa nibs

3 cups chicken broth(plus 2 more cups to dilute later on)

1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt, or more to taste

1/2 cup sesame seeds, toasted, to sprinkle at the end

* – can be replaced by green tomatoes and squeze of lime, or leave it out.

Method

1)      start by preparing all ingredients. De-seed the chillies, peel and chopped vegetables

2)      In a large griddle pan set over medium high heat. Once hot, about 4 minutes later, add the chillies in 2 or 3 batches pressing them for 1 minute and being careful not to let them completely burn. Remove and place in a mixing bowl. Reserve.

3)      In a same griddle pan roast all the spices, stirring until fragrant for about 2 minutes. Set aside.

4)      Place all nuts and seeds in the grilled pan and roast for about 1 minute. Keep an eye, don’t answer the phone, it will burn very quickly! Once ready, reserve.

5)      In the same griddle pan, toast the tortillas and the bread again, don’t burn them. Set aside.

6)      Place the vegetables: tomatoes, tomatillos, onions, garlic in the grilled pan and roast all for about 8 minutes. When ready, onions blackened, the garlic are soft, tomatoes and tomatillos are charred, set aside. Once cooled, peel the tomatoes and tomatillos skins. Reserve.

7)      Fruits: soak the raisins and dates in warm water for about 10 minutes, drain and reserve.

8)      In a big and deep casserole, place all ingredients prepared above and simmer for about 25 minutes

9)      Add the chocolate and cook for a further minute.

10)    Blend all ingredients, check for salt and sugar. Sieve the mixture – a bit of work but believe me it’s worth it.

11)    This sauce can be stored in the fridge for a month or frozen for up to a year. Makes about 1L.

12)    When ready to use, add the reserved chicken stock to loosen and low simmer for 3 minutes

13)    Serve over cooked chicken or turkey and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds on top.

 

 This recipe was adapted from Gran Cocina Latina by Maricel E. Presilla

To accompany this dish I prepared a Red Onion Pickled recipe below:

 

red pickled onions

 

 Red pickled onions recipe

Ingredients
1 very large red onion cut lenghwise, in cold water for 10 minutes
juice of 4 bitter oranges (2 cups)
salt, sugar, to taste
Method
drain the onions, add the juice, salt and sugar
leave standing in a jar for at least 2 hours.
will keep in the fridge for a couple of days
mole poblano
mole

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