Chicken Mole Recipe!

By Hope Bidegainberry on May 1, 2018

Cinco de Mayo is finally here! Try this delicious chicken mole dinner, it’ll be the perfect dish for your party! Mole, is the signature sauce of Mexico, and is particularly delicious. Mole usually requires a pantry worth of ingredients, and the Mexican chocolate adds an intriguing complexity to the smoky, savory sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 chicken (3 to 4 pounds), cut into 6 pieces
• 5 black peppercorns
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup of sesame seeds
• 5 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 teaspoon of anise seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon of coriander seeds
• 4 dried ancho chile peppers
• 6 tablespoons of canola oil
• 1/4 cup of raisins
• 1/4 cup of whole blanched almonds
• 1/4 cup of hulled pumpkin seeds
• 2, 6-inch corn tortillas, torn into pieces
• 1, 2.7-ounce disk Mexican chocolate, broken into pieces
• Pinch of sugar

Directions

1. Put the chicken and peppercorns in a large pot, cover with water and season with salt.
2. Bring to a gentle simmer over low heat and cook for about 40 minutes.
3. Transfer the chicken to a large plate and set the cooking liquid aside.
4. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, tossing for about 5 minutes.
5. Set aside 2 tablespoons for garnish and transfer the rest to a blender.
6. In the same skillet, toast the cloves, cinnamon stick, and anise, and coriander seeds for about 3 minutes.
7. Add to the blender.
8. Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chile peppers.
9. Heat 4 tablespoons of canola oil in the same skillet over medium heat.
10. Add the chiles and fry for about 2 minutes.
11. Transfer to a bowl, cover with hot water, and set aside to soak for about 30 minutes.
12. Meanwhile, add the raisins, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and tortilla pieces to the oil in the skillet and cook, stirring for about 2 minutes.
13. Add to the blender along with the oil from the skillet.
14. Add the softened chiles and puree, pouring in 2 to 3 cups of the soaking liquid to make a thick, smooth sauce.
15. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
16. Add the chile sauce and fry, stirring until thickened, for about 5 to 6 minutes. Add 4 cups of the reserved chicken cooking liquid and simmer until the sauce starts to thicken, for about 20 minutes.
17. Add the chocolate and simmer, stirring frequently, until the chocolate melts and the sauce reduces, for about 20 more minutes.
18. Add the sugar and season with salt.
19. Add the chicken pieces to the sauce and warm through over low heat.
20. Garnish with the reserved sesame seeds.