Mole Poblano is a true Mexican classic. It may be time consuming to make, but worth it for the amazing results, and complex flavor. It also freezes beautifully and is great on enchiladas!
2plain cookies or ginger snaps or ¼ slice white bread
½white oniondiced
2large cloves garlicsliced
¼cupseedless raisins
½cupraw almonds
1cuplight chicken stock
STEP 5:
2tablespoonsfresh lard(I used vegetable oil)
1cupslight chicken stock
STEP 6:
2cupslight chicken stock
6tablespoonssemisweet chocolate chips(2 ¼ ounces)
¼cupsugar
2teaspoonssalt
Instructions
STEP 1: PREPARE THE CHILES—Split the dried chiles up the side with a sharp knife. Remove the stem, seeds and veins. Open up the chiles. Turn on the fan over the stove. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Toast the chiles inside and out, pressing down gently, until blistered and soft. Be very careful not to burn the chiles. Place the toasted chiles in a bowl and pour the hot water over them. Soak for 30 minutes, pushing down several times. When soft, drain (reserve the soaking liquid) and place in a blender with the chicken stock. Puree for several minutes, scraping down the sides, until perfectly smooth.
STEP 2: ROAST THE TOMATOES—Line the skillet with aluminum foil and set over medium heat. Roast the tomatoes on all sides until blackened and soft. Place in a small bowl and set aside.
STEP 3: TOAST THE SEEDS AND SPICES—Remove the foil from the pan, and reduce the heat to low. When the pan has cooled, toast the sesame seeds, stirring constantly, until light golden brown. Scrape into a medium bowl. Put the pepitas in the the skillet and stir until toasted and pale olive color, then add to the sesame seeds. Put the spices in the skillet and toast, stirring, for 1 minute. Add to the sesame seeds.
STEP 4: FRY THE TORTILLA, COOKIES, AND OTHER INGREDIENTS—Add the 2 tablespoons lard to the skillet and increase the heat to medium. (During this step, you may need to add a little more lard.) Fry the tortilla and cookies until golden and crisp, then add to the bowl with the sesame seeds. Fry the onion and garlic until soft and golden brown, stirring often, add to the sesame seeds. Fry the raisins, stirring, until plump, add to the sesame seeds. Fry the almonds, stirring, until browned then add to the sesame seeds. Set aside.
STEP 5: FRY THE MOLE—Heat the 2 tablespoons lard in a deep, heavy 4-quart pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chile puree to the pot. It will splatter, so cover with a splatter screen. Do not rinse the blender. Cook and stir for 20 minutes, until thickened. When the chile paste is cooked, puree the tomatoes in the same blender. Add to the chile puree and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Do not rinse the blender. When the tomatoes have cooked, puree the sesame seed mixture with the chicken stock, scraping down the sides several times, until perfectly smooth (I “borrowed” an extra ½ cup stock from the next step to help this mixture blend more smoothly, and then used only 1 ½ cups in the next step instead of 2 cups). This may take several minutes. Add to the pot, and cook, stirring often, for 15 minutes.
STEP 6: SIMMER THE MOLE—Rinse the blender with the chicken stock and add to the pot, along with the reserved chile soaking liquid (see note below), stirring until well combined. Add the chocolate, sugar, and salt and stir as the mole comes to a simmer to make sure the chocolate does not stick to the bottom of the pot. Once simmering, reduce the heat slightly. Simmer the mole, stirring often and scraping the bottom, for 30 minutes; do not allow it to boil. Strain the finished mole through the fine screen of a food mill.
Notes
Note: To make the mole less spicy, discard the chile soaking liquid and substitute 3 more cups of chicken stock (this is what I did, just to be safe, and thought the result was slightly spicy, but very flavorful).Serving Ideas: This mole is traditionally served with simmered or roasted turkey pieces, corn tortillas, and plain white rice.Adapted from Salsas and Moles