Seriously?

Three large moles one onion ...oh.."mo lay " ...never mind.

I've always made my own mole sauce. Here's the recipe I've been using for 30 years. It's tedious but not really difficult. Tastes great & freezes well. Plan on 1/2 day approximately start to finish.

2/3 Cup Whole Almonds
6 Dried Ancho Chiles
4 Dried Pasilla Chiles
1/3 Cup Sesame Seed
1/4 Teaspoon Anise Seed
1 Cinnamon Stick
4 Cloves Garlic, Unpeeled
1/4 Cup Lard (substituting will affect authentic taste)
1 Dry Tortilla (allow fresh to air dry overnight or put in a low oven for 30 min.)
1/4 Cup Raisins
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
3 Tablespoons Lard
3 Ounces Mexican Chocolate (or, bittersweet will be OK if you can't find Mexican)
3-1/2 Cups Chicken Broth

Instructions:

1.) Toast almonds in a 300 degree oven for 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2.) Wash chilies and remove stems and seeds. Open the chilies flat and place into a saucepan. Weight them down with a plate and cover with water. Bring to a boil and allow to cook 5 minutes over medium heat. Set aside to cool (do not drain yet).

3.) In an ungreased skillet, toast the sesame seed over medium heat, tossing frequently, until golden brown (about 3 minutes). Remove from pan. In the same skillet, toast the anise seed, cinnamon stick, and unpeeled garlic. Set aside to cool. When cool, peel the garlic. In a blender, finely grind the cinnamon stick, anise, and sesame seed.

4.) In a heavy frying pan, heat the 1/4 cup lard over medium heat and fry the tortilla until crisp and golden. Fry the raisins briefly in the same skillet in the lard to puff them. Break tortilla in pieces into the blender. Blend into find crumbs. Add the cooled, toasted almonds, and blend until fine. Remove the mixture and set aside.

5.) Place in the blender the raisins, the sesame seed, cinnamon, and anise mixture, and add the toasted peeled garlic cloves. Add coriander and cloves. Drain the cooled chilies reserving the liquid. Add to the blender 1 cup of chili liquid and the chilis. Blend to an even consistency. Add the almond-tortilla mixture and 1 cup of the chicken broth. Blend again.

6.) In a large pot, melt the 3 tablespoons of lard. Add the chili mixture and fry 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Break the chocolate into pieces and add to the chili puree, lower the heat and cook 10 minutes to melt the chocolate, stirring constantly. Slowly stir in the remaining chicken stock, bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. If necessary, add small amounts of either broth or chili liquid to achieve the desired consistency.

Notes: Be sure you grind to a fine consistency or you'll end up with gritty mole. Once you've added the broth it's too late to correct the texture.

/tricia

I hear gopher is nice too, though a bit boney... ;)

Tricia's recipe sounds good. I am lazy and use purchased mole that I doctor to suit myself.

Tricia's recipe does sound delicious. If you try it, do stop back and give a report.

What a relief!

Thanks Tricia. Will save this and give it a try. Need to purchase a blender or food processor before I can try this out.

Thanks.
Tropicalfreak

barnmom - that's pronounced "mo-lay", not mole. If we could savor moles, voles, field mice, and gophers, as we do "mo-lay's", I'd be really happy to have a less than total wilderness existence out here. LOL. Although I have heard that woodchuck, squirrel, and beaver are tasty, I'm not brave enough to trap, chop, and try. We can verify though, that most of our venison-on-the-hoof here'bout gets portioned up and frozen, for year 'round enjoyment, with or without facial moles as they are removed with the other inedible layers.

Instead of the ancho chili peppers, I use guajillo and New Mexico dried chili peppers, along with pasilla. The combo gives a sweet and yet complex flavor mix. I mainly use them because my local grocery stores carries them all the time, while the dried anchos are much harder to find down here in the South, for some reason.

Mexican chocolate can be found in most grocery stores with other Latin/Mexican products - look for a bright yellow cardboard upright "can" shape with red letters - brand name "Ibarra". I sub 1 ounce of unsweetened, or preferably, bittersweet chocolate baking squares, of the amount of Mexican chocolate called for. A little more "creamy" and less acidic perhaps? Maybe just my taste buds, or, what I have on hand.

Instead of bread or tortillas (used for thickening) in most recipes, I add lightly fried plantain slices, or even unripe bananas if I can't find the plantains (and less expensive). Those give a sweeter undertone but not identifiable once the mole is simmered for a while, and probably has more nutritional benefit than bread, IMHO.

I found instant chipotle chili peppers compressed into little cubes - much like chicken bouillon comes in. Better than having an opened can where you only fish out one or two to use and the rest goes bad in the fridge before I want that ingredient again. I use a couple of them, depending on how much I want to sharpen the after-kick flavor. (First you taste the sweet on the front of your tongue, then you feel the spicy at the back of your tongue. Too spicy and you can't taste anything but fire and run looking for milk and cream, or a fire extinguisher.)

As for the nuts - sliced almonds are quicker and easier to fry (in peanut oil) than whole almonds - shell-on raw peanuts give another dimension to the party (also fried in the same oil after draining the almonds) and are local and inexpensive, and I add a lot more sesame seeds (dry toasted) to liven the mole and add more nutritious thickening. The raisins get lightly fried in some lard, as does an onion and 3 chopped garlic cloves, or five, as I am wont to do. For some reason, lard gives another pleasurable dimension to the sauce.

Instead of coriander seeds and cloves, a more authentic version (so my Mexico City friend says)uses anise seed and ground cinnamon, both of which grow freely down there, and though coriander is popular because it is everywhere down there, it throws off the subtle flavors of this mole because it is such a strong and identifiable spice as to overwhelm. Often I serve a side salad of greens with the meal that includes fresh cilantro. It has its place there, but not in the mole. IMHO.

Instead of the chicken broth the recipe above uses, I take the juice from soaking the dried chillies and add a little diced cooked tomato for the liquid. Since I cook my poultry while I am making the sauce, the broth from it is used elsewhere lest the main flavor be the poultry instead of the peppers and the nutty complexity of the mole.

There are thousands THOUSANDS of variants to mole poblano, though I never use poblano chili peppers, and supposedly this particular mole is to be made to simmer with only turkey but I go for using a few good ol' whole chickens cut up into to manageable pieces, to pick up with your fingers dripping with the sauce. Leftover sauce goes on flour tortillas, with a layer of melting cheese, green onions, and black olives, (leftover poultry if there is any), more tortillas, and baked much like enchiladas. Served with a dollop of sour cream, avocado on the side, coconut juice over ice to drink with it, it is pure heaven. BTW the mole sauce freezes wonderfully!

This is not a dish we enjoy that often. It has such a unique flavor that I do understand why it was made for festivals and special occasions. Eating it, even once a month, would dampen the intense pleasure you'd get from eating it once in a while. Sorta like having that huge Thanksgiving meal. Do you really ever recreate that feast in, say, June?

With all that said, if y'all want my version, let me know. I happen to be one who wants to know WHY one thing is subbed for another.

Nancy

Nancy, Eileen was just having fun. Believe me, Eileen knows how to pronounce Mole.

Ann

Thanks Nancy.

If you have all that in a recipe card version that would be most excellent. lol

Cliff

Snicker. I spent my early childhood in Mexico. I am the grandchild and daughter of American ex-pats living in Mexico. Got it covered. ;)

Barnmom, aka Eileen

Nancy - thank you so much for the great information! I'm sure a lot of us appreciated it and I would love your recipe too.

Alexa

A mole of mole en mole anyone? Probably too small to be seen by the naked eye. I guess I'll just have some guacamole.

LOL lpink only if I can have some avogadro ooops I mean avocado with that guac

LOL! LPink.....hadn't thought of that definition of mole
How about a mole of mole with a mole en mole...

Jessy you're the best!! That would be a nice small course Linda!

It's funny, I must have lived in Texas too long. I didn't even think of the critter when I saw the title!

I would love a good vegetarian recipe. I realize that it won't taste authentic without the lard or chicken, but I suspect there's a way to make it still taste good using vegetarian ingredients. I just wonder how. I wonder if coconut oil would work as a substitute? A different flavor, of course, but maybe it would be good?

Sally

I make mole posole, which I guess isn't quite right, shouldn't it be the other way around? But anyway, It's not with a traditional mole sauce, although if you Google mole SAUCE (not the unit of measurement or the birthmark or the small mammal) you will find lots of variants. As is typical of me, I probably will not ever make any of them, I'm too lazy. I have had the ingredients sitting in my cupboard to make Tricia's recipe for about two years. I fully intend sometime before I die to make a big batch and freeze it.

But I still enjoy mole when I have been lucky enough to get it at a good restaurant or when my neighbor gives me some leftovers from one of their big family dos. It could be used as an enchilada sauce or with huevos rancheros.

Nancedar s Mole Recipe for Chicken
Makes about 10 cups - enough for 2 whole chickens

This has a lot of ingredients but it goes fast if you get your tools at the ready and measure out everything before you start to prepare the sauce. I use pieces of waxed paper to hold the dry ingredients as I measure them out, tiny espresso cups, and glass measuring cups for the pourable liquids. I call this "Mexican Chocolate Barbecued Chicken".

Tools needed: kitchen scale, cutting board, knife for dicing, a large main bowl, colander or sieve to drain peppers, measuring cups, small bowl for the tomatoes, bowl with a pouring lip for the pepper liquid, measuring spoons, grater, large skillet or saute pan, wooden/bamboo spoon or spatula, slotted spoon to take ingredients from pan while draining oil back into the pan, food processor, blender, serving bowl.

1 or 2 cooked whole chickens cut into serving size pieces, or diced boneless cooked chicken, or a small roasted turkey

4 each - dried guajillo, pasilla, New Mexico chili peppers (or you can use any other mix of dried peppers to suit your taste)
water to cover peppers

2 or more chipotle instant cubes, or 1 or more canned chipotle's drained and diced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon anise seeds
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 oz. sesame seeds (or less, if you wish)
2 Tblsp peanut oil (or other oil)
4 oz. sliced almonds (or whole skin-on almonds)
4 oz. skin-on unsalted raw peanuts

2 Tblsp lard (or vegetable oil, or olive oil - but not EVOO)
1 lb. dark raisins
1 large plantain, sliced or chopped (or 2 or 3 sliced green bananas, or ripe bananas)
1/2 Cup or more diced yellow onion
3 or more minced garlic cloves

10 - 24 oz. diced fresh or canned tomatoes with juice, or half tomatoes and tomatillos

1 to 4 oz. Mexican chocolate (or combination of Mexican and unsweetened or bittersweet baking chocolate, or all bittersweet chocolate - but do not use chocolate chips)

Cook your chicken(s) in any method you choose - roasted, grilled, or boiled, but not breaded and fried. I prefer oven roasted with olive oil and a little salt on the skin and inside the bird. Cool, cut up, refrigerate, covered, while the rest of the recipe is prepared.
Tear chili peppers into 2" or so pieces, remove stem, discard seeds and any membranes, then soak just covered with water in a large main bowl overnight (or at least 12 hours) to rehydrate and soften. Drain liquid into a bowl with a pouring lip and put the softened peppers back in the main bowl.
Put the chipotle and spices in the main bowl.

Use this same main bowl for the rest of the ingredients as they are prepared, allowing them to cool somewhat while you prepare the next ingredient. They will be all mixed together at the end.

In a large skillet, dry toast sesame seeds to just light golden, stirring often. Put in main bowl.

Saute almonds in peanut oil until light golden color. Scoop out with slotted spoon and put in main bowl.

Saute peanuts in the oil until golden. Scoop out and put in main bowl. Discard oil.

Wipe out skillet with a paper towel and put in lard or your other choice of oil.

Saute raisins until plump. Scoop out and put in main bowl.

Saute plantain or bananas until they soften and glisten. Scoop out and put in main bowl.

Saute the onions until softened, add the garlic and continue to cook until the garlic is fragrant. Scoop out and put in main bowl.

Saute the tomatoes, longer for fresh tomatoes, until very soft and have released their juices. Scoop out into a small bowl or a cup to use later. Discard any leftover oil.

Grate or chop the chocolate and put in a small cup to use later.

Mix everything that is in the main bowl and process in a food processor, adding tomatoes and juice from the soaked peppers to thin it. When processed it should look thicker than gravy and thinner than pudding. It may be more grainy from the seeds and nuts than you would like so process small quantities at a time in a blender to get a smoother sauce. It will never get to the silky consistency of a non-grainy gravy, which is part of the experience.

In a large wide pan, add the chocolate to the mole and simmer (or a smaller portion if you are only using 1 chicken, saving the rest) stirring constantly until it is warmed through and begins to bubble. You may need to add a little of the tomato or water if it is too thick as some of the liquid in the mole evaporates from heating it. If it is too thin, simmer longer, uncovered, stirring often. Add the cooked chicken pieces and heat on low to medium until very hot, stirring often to keep the mole from scorching. Serve warm in a large serving bowl along side of a very cold green salad (with cilantro and parsley) with a lemon vinaigrette, and with warm flour or corn tortillas. Ice cream/yogurt/sherbet and/or chilled fruit for desert is refreshing after this intensely flavored meal.

The mole can be refrigerated and reheated the next day either with or without the chicken pieces in the sauce. If you use boneless pieces of chicken or turkey, you can serve it rolled up in lightly fried flour tortillas.

Extra mole (without chicken pieces) can be frozen for up to 3 months. When cooled, put the mole in serving portions in quart sized freezer plastic bags, laid flat to freeze, that will defrost more quickly than a solid block of sauce. Chicken pieces that have been heated in mole can be drained and frozen separately from the sauce for up to 3 months. Heat the extra defrosted mole and add the defrosted chicken to warm through.

Enjoy!
Nancy the nancedar

(((lpink))) LOLOL