mole poblano, a smoky, savory mexican sauce based in unsweetened chocolate, chiles, seeds and nuts

When a norteamericano says "mole" odds are they mean mole poblano, a savory sauce of chocolate, chiles, seeds and nuts, originating in the Pueblo region of Mexico. ("Mole," I was surprised to learn, actually refers to sauces in general and there are at least six major varieties from the different areas of Mexico.) Mole poblano is rich, thick, and dark, its flavor smoky and spicy and complicated.

After three hours cooking its multitude of ingredients (it's often literally a pinch of this, a pinch of that, which I suppose is where it gets a flavor of so many notes and nuances), I discovered I don't actually like that smoky, deep flavor.

Oops.

But if you do, here's the recipe! It was rather fun to make. It takes about two or three hours, depending on how much you enjoy lurking about a kitchen and whether or not you want to multitask.


Mole Poblano

1 poblano chile, dried
2 chipolte chiles, canned
(If you like spice, add more chiles. My recipe makes a very mild mole)
2 Tb shortening
15 almonds
1/4 C shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitos)
4 tomatillos
2 Tb shortening
2 Tb sunflower seeds
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp peppercorns
1/2 C raisins
1 corn tortilla
1 onion
1 garlic clove
1 Tb sesame seeds
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 C broth
3 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 C broth

Seed and slice the poblano chile (this one's actually a pasillo; I couldn't find any poblanos) into flat portions so it will brown evenly.

The seeds are where most the spice hides. I made my mole fairly mild and added no seeds at all; so add more seeds or whole chiles if you like it spicy.

Roast the pasillo and chipoltes in a dry pan, then add to the bowl of a food processor or blender. If you're going to blend the mixture, you'll probably end up having to do several batches.

Melt 2 Tb shortening in the pan. Add almonds and pumpkin seeds and cook until popping and browning. Be careful; the pumpkin seeds may try to pretend to be firecrackers instead of food. Use a lid to shield yourself.

Put the cooked seeds and nuts onto a folded paper towel to wick out the oil. Add to bowl of food processor.

Remove the papery husks of the tomatillos. They'll be a little sticky, so rinse them. Slice them into small chunks and fry them until browned. Add them to the bowl of the processor.

Add 2 Tb shortening to the pan and fry sunflower seeds, coriander, peppercorns, and raisins. A hint: this is delicious all by itself. I nibbled some before I tossed them into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients.

Shred the corn tortilla into strips and fry it in the leftover oil.

Chop the onion and cook it with the garlic clove until both are browned. Add to the bowl along with the sesame seed and the cinnamon. Add 2 C broth to the bowl and process until smooth (this will take awhile).

Pour the mole into the frying pan and add 3 oz unsweetened chocolate and 1 cup chicken broth. Simmer down (about twenty minutes) until it thickens.

The mole's done. Now, toss some chicken into the pot and let it cook until it is warmed through. You could serve it right now with rice and warm tortillas. Instead, I wrapped the chicken in corn tortillas with diced tomatoes and cheese. I laid them out in a pan, poured mole over it and sprinkled cheese on top. About ten minutes in a 275 degree oven warms them through.

Serve with sour cream and enjoy!