Mole Negro con Pollo

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1

   Start the chicken first to build a quick broth. Put the bone-in chicken thighs, water, halved onion, smashed garlic, bay leaf, and salt in a saucepan. Bring just to a simmer, skimming any foam, then cook gently for 20 minutes until the chicken is just cooked through but still juicy. Lift out the chicken and keep warm. Strain and reserve 450 ml broth for the mole.

2. 2

   While the chicken cooks, toast the dried mulato, pasilla, and ancho chillies in a dry skillet over medium heat for 10-15 seconds per side until fragrant and pliable; do not let them blacken or the mole will taste bitter. Cover the toasted chillies with hot water in a bowl and soak for 10 minutes, then drain.

3. 3

   In the same skillet, heat the lard or oil over medium. Fry the torn tortilla and bread until deep golden. Fry the sliced plantain until caramelised at the edges. Fry the sliced onion, chopped tomato, and garlic cloves until well browned and softened. Remove each item as it is ready so nothing scorches.

4. 4

   Toast the almonds, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds in the dry skillet until aromatic and lightly coloured. Add the raisins for 20-30 seconds just until they puff slightly. Toast the cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, allspice, oregano, thyme, cumin seeds, and anise seeds briefly until fragrant.

5. 5

   Blend the soaked chillies with the fried tortilla, bread, plantain, onion, tomato, garlic, toasted nuts and seeds, raisins, toasted spices, and 250 ml of the reserved chicken broth until completely smooth. Blend in batches if needed, scraping down the jar; a very smooth puree is essential for a refined mole texture.

6. 6

   Return the skillet or a heavy pot to medium-low heat with any remaining fat. Pour in the blended mole carefully; it may splutter. Cook, stirring constantly, for 8-10 minutes until the paste darkens, thickens, and the fat begins to separate slightly. This frying step concentrates the flavour and removes any raw taste from the chillies and tomato.

7. 7

   Add the remaining reserved chicken broth a little at a time to reach a thick but spoonable sauce. Stir in the chopped chocolate, salt, and piloncillo or brown sugar. Simmer gently for 8 minutes, stirring often, until glossy and balanced; the mole should taste deep, lightly sweet, gently bitter, and warmly spiced rather than hot.

8. 8

   Return the cooked chicken thighs to the sauce and spoon the mole over them. Simmer very gently for 4-5 minutes so the chicken absorbs flavour without overcooking. If the sauce tightens too much, loosen with a splash of hot broth or water.

9. 9

   Rest the mole off the heat for 5 minutes, then serve the chicken coated generously with sauce and finish with toasted sesame seeds. Traditionally, it is excellent with rice and warm tortillas.

Nutrition per serving

Notes

• •For the deepest colour in a 60-minute version, brown the solids well but stop short of burning; true mole negro often takes much longer, so controlled caramelisation is the key shortcut here.
• •If you want an ultra-smooth restaurant-style sauce, pass the blended mole through a fine sieve before frying it, though this may add a few minutes.
• •Mulato chillies give the characteristic dark, fruity, bittersweet depth; do not substitute all of them with ancho if you want a more authentic result.
• •The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. It will continue to thicken slightly as it stands.

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