Chicken Mole Poblano
Three dried chiles toasted with almonds, raisins, sesame and spices, blended with a corn tortilla and a little dark chocolate, then simmered into a deep sauce over poached chicken.
- 1
Put the chicken, half the onion, 3 cloves of the garlic, the salt and the water in a large pot. Bring to a bare simmer, skim the foam, and poach for 35 minutes, until the meat reads 165°F at the bone.
- 2
Lift out the chicken and strain the broth, discarding the solids. You need about 6 cups of broth for the sauce.
- 3
Toast the ancho, pasilla and mulato chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat, pressing them flat for 20 seconds a side, until they smell nutty and turn pliable. Do not let them blacken or the mole turns bitter.
- 4
Cover the toasted chiles with 3 cups of the hot broth and soak for 20 minutes.
- 5
Heat the vegetable oil in the same skillet over medium. Fry the almonds until golden, about 3 minutes, then the raisins until they puff, the sesame seeds until pale gold, and the tortilla until crisp, scooping each into a blender as it is done.
- 6
Chop the remaining onion half and add it to the skillet with the remaining garlic and the tomatoes. Cook for 8 minutes, until softened and browned in spots, then add to the blender.
- 7
Grind the cinnamon, cloves and peppercorns to a powder and add them to the blender with the drained chiles and 2 cups of broth. Blend for 3 minutes, until completely smooth, working in batches if needed.
- 8
Pour the puree through a sieve into the pot, pressing hard on the solids. Cook over medium-low heat for 30 minutes, stirring often, until it darkens and thickens enough to coat a spoon.
- 9
Stir in the chocolate and sugar until melted, then thin with broth to the consistency of heavy cream. Taste and adjust the salt.
- 10
Return the chicken to the pot, spoon the sauce over, and warm through for 10 minutes before serving.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
- 1 onion, halved
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 8 cups water
- 4 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 3 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 3 dried mulato chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup whole almonds
- 1/3 cup raisins
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1 corn tortilla, torn into pieces
- 2 plum tomatoes, quartered
- 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
- 4 whole cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 1/2 ounces dairy-free dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- 1
Put the chicken, half the onion, 3 cloves of the garlic, the salt and the water in a large pot. Bring to a bare simmer, skim the foam, and poach for 35 minutes, until the meat reads 165°F at the bone.
- 2
Lift out the chicken and strain the broth, discarding the solids. You need about 6 cups of broth for the sauce.
- 3
Toast the ancho, pasilla and mulato chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat, pressing them flat for 20 seconds a side, until they smell nutty and turn pliable. Do not let them blacken or the mole turns bitter.
- 4
Cover the toasted chiles with 3 cups of the hot broth and soak for 20 minutes.
- 5
Heat the vegetable oil in the same skillet over medium. Fry the almonds until golden, about 3 minutes, then the raisins until they puff, the sesame seeds until pale gold, and the tortilla until crisp, scooping each into a blender as it is done.
- 6
Chop the remaining onion half and add it to the skillet with the remaining garlic and the tomatoes. Cook for 8 minutes, until softened and browned in spots, then add to the blender.
- 7
Grind the cinnamon, cloves and peppercorns to a powder and add them to the blender with the drained chiles and 2 cups of broth. Blend for 3 minutes, until completely smooth, working in batches if needed.
- 8
Pour the puree through a sieve into the pot, pressing hard on the solids. Cook over medium-low heat for 30 minutes, stirring often, until it darkens and thickens enough to coat a spoon.
- 9
Stir in the chocolate and sugar until melted, then thin with broth to the consistency of heavy cream. Taste and adjust the salt.
- 10
Return the chicken to the pot, spoon the sauce over, and warm through for 10 minutes before serving.