suntimes
UNLIKELY

RECIPE: Mole Poblano

November 18, 2011 2:50PM

Tacos with mole Mercadito. | Courtesy Drew Templeton

Tacos with mole at Mercadito. | Courtesy Drew Templeton

storyidforme: 21012695
tmspicid: 8055002
fileheaderid: 3622149

Updated: May 9, 2012 10:04AM



Serve this complex, spicy sauce over turkey or tamales. Use dried, not canned, chiles. Mulato, ancho and pasilla chiles are all readily available at Hispanic markets. Chipotle meco is less common, though still available; in a pinch, you can substitute the more common chipotle morita.

MAKES 31/2 CUPS

CHILE MIXTURE

4 mulato chiles

3 ancho chiles

3 pasilla chiles

2 chipotle meco chiles

1 rosemary sprig

1 thyme sprig

Pork fat or vegetable oil for frying (about

1/2 cup)

TOMATO-SPICE MIXTURE

1 cup plum tomatoes, roasted

½ cup tomatillo, roasted

2 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons raisins

1 clove (or ¼ teaspoon ground cloves)

5 allspice berries (or 1 teaspoon ground allspice)

1 cinnamon stick (or 2 teaspoons cinnamon)

 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander

NUT MIXTURE

2 teaspoons peanuts

4 t

 ablespoons sesame seeds

2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

½ cup almonds

Chicken stock (1 cup or more, to thin mole as required)

BREAD MIXTURE

1 tortilla

 1½ bread sticks (or about ½ cup bread crumbs)

1 ripe plantain, sliced

1 tablet Abuelita chocolate (or other brand of Mexican chocolate)

Make chile mixture: Seed and devein chiles and reserve seeds. In skillet, fry chiles, rosemary and thyme in approximately 1 tablespoon pork fat or oil, then add 1 cup or more of water and cook a while longer to soften them up. Blend chiles in food processor with enough water to make smooth puree; remove to bowl and clean out food processor bowl.

Make tomato-spice mixture: Toast chile seeds in pan. In food processor, blend together toasted seeds, tomatoes, tomatillos, garlic, raisins, clove, allspice, cinnamon and coriander. Remove to bowl and clean out food processor bowl.

Make nut mixture: In skillet, fry peanuts, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and almonds in about 2 tablespoons pork fat. In food processor, blend together fried nuts and seeds, adding chicken stock to make a smooth puree. Remove to bowl and clean out food processor bowl.

Make bread mixture: In skillet, fry tortilla, bread sticks and plantain. In food processor, blend together tortilla, bread and plantains with enough chicken stock to make smooth puree. Remove to bowl.

Put chile mixture in large saucepan over medium heat. Add tomato-spice mixture and cook for 5 minutes, stirring with wooden spatula. Add nut mixture and cook for 10 minutes, stirring. Add bread mixture and cook for 10 minutes, stirring.

Add chocolate and cook 1½ hours, stirring constantly to make sure mixture doesn’t stick to bottom. If mixture seems too thick, add chicken stock; if watery, allow it to cook longer. The consistency should be thick yet pourable.

Tip: If you don’t want to stand over the stove, put everything into slow cooker on low heat for 21/2 hours, checking now and again to stir and, if necessary, add chicken stock.

Adapted from Patricio Sandoval, Mercadito

Nutrition facts per

1/4 cup: 180 calories, 11 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 1 mg cholesterol, 18 g carbohydrates, 5 g sugars, 5 g protein, 33 mg sodium, 2 g fiber




© 2013 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.
Special Home Delivery Offer