Mole Poblano
Jules Moreau Demo- Makes
- 24 servings
- Active
- 1 h 21 min
- Total
- 1 h 30 min
You’ll Need Large, wide casserole or deep sauté pan, Slotted spoon, Blender or Food processor, Comal or dry skillet (for charring the tomatoes and tomatillos)
Method
Mole
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Char the and on a hot comal or dry skillet, turning, until blistered and soft. Stem and seed the , , and , saving the seeds you need for the .
tomato and tomatillo skins blackened in patches and the flesh slumping -
Heat the in a large, wide casserole over medium-high heat for about . Fry the chiles in two or three batches, stirring often, then lift them out with a slotted spoon into a bowl.
chiles glossy, puffed and fragrantpull them before any part turns black -
In the same fat, cook the and , stirring, for . Stir in the , , and and cook for another .
onion softened and fragrantraisins plump and the nuts lightly toasted -
Add the , , , , , , , , and . Cook for , stirring often.
the sesame turns golden and the pan smells of toasted spice -
Push everything aside, add the and along with the charred tomatoes and tomatillos, and let it all cook for a couple of minutes.
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Return the fried chiles to the pan and pour in the . When it simmers, add the and , stir well and simmer for .
the chocolate has melted into the broth -
Turn off the heat, cover and leave for so the chiles soften completely.
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Blend in batches until completely smooth. Store it now, or thin and serve.
thick, glossy and velvety, with no gritty bitsSafe to pause here
To Serve
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For each cup of mole, add half a cup of in a saucepan and simmer for .
the sauce coats a spoon thickly but pours -
Spoon the hot mole over and finish with a shower of .
From Jules Moreau
This is the full convent style mole, with ancho, pasilla, mulato and chipotle chiles and more than twenty other ingredients, but it is all cooked in one wide pan in about an hour. It makes a big batch of concentrated mole that keeps for a month in the fridge, so one afternoon of work feeds many dinners.
Notes
- Frying the chiles: they should turn glossy and puff slightly, but do not let them blacken or the mole turns bitter.
- Chile seeds: shake the seeds out of the chiles as you stem them and keep half a cup; toasted in the lard they give the sauce body.
- Fat: lard is traditional; vegetable shortening or a neutral oil also work.
- Bread: a day-old bolillo or telera is best; a piece of baguette is the closest substitute.
- Chocolate: use Mexican table chocolate, or bittersweet chocolate if you cannot find it.
- To serve: thin each cup of mole with half a cup of broth and simmer briefly. Spoon it over poached or roasted chicken or turkey with Mexican rice and warm tortillas.
Storage
The concentrated, unthinned mole keeps covered in the fridge for up to a month and in the freezer for up to a year.
Make Ahead
Make the mole days or weeks ahead; its flavour deepens. Thin only what you need just before serving.
When to Start
Plan backwards from a time
Filed under Main · Sauce · Latin America › Mexico › Puebla · Poultry › Chicken · Sauce · Frying · Mole Poblano. Tags: #celebration, #freezer friendly, #make-ahead.