A Puebla classic: tender chicken coated in a dark, silky, deep sauce of dried chiles, warm spices, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and dark chocolate. Rich without being sweet, fragrant, and lingering on the palate.
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg free-range chicken legs
- 900 ml chicken broth
- 3 pieces dried ancho chiles
- 2 pieces dried pasilla chiles
- 2 pieces dried guajillo chiles
- 2 pieces ripe tomatoes
- 1 piece yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 35 g blanched almonds
- 25 g unsalted peanuts
- 25 g white sesame seeds
- 30 g raisins
- 1 piece corn tortilla
- 1 slice white sandwich bread
- 25 g 70% dark chocolate
- 4 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 piece cinnamon
- 2 pieces whole cloves
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- to taste fine salt
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 600 g cooked white rice
- 0.25 bunches fresh cilantro
Method
- Season the chicken with salt, cover with simmering broth, and poach over low heat until the meat is tender and pulls easily from the bone; keep the chicken warm and reserve the flavorful poaching broth.
- Stem and seed the dried chiles, then toast them briefly in a dry skillet until pliable, fragrant, and slightly glossy, being careful not to let them blacken.
- Cover the toasted chiles with hot broth and let soak until soft and pliable to the touch.
- In a skillet with oil, fry the onion, garlic, tomatoes, corn tortilla, bread, almonds, peanuts, raisins, and most of the sesame seeds separately; each ingredient should smell toasted and fragrant, never burnt.
- Briefly toast the cinnamon, cloves, cumin seeds, oregano, and black pepper just until fragrant, then add them to the fried ingredients.
- Blend the drained chiles with the fried aromatics, spices, and enough broth to form a smooth puree; strain through a fine-mesh sieve if needed for a silkier texture.
- Fry the puree in oil, stirring constantly, until it darkens, thickens, and begins to pull away from the bottom and sides of the pot.
- Gradually whisk in broth, add the chocolate, brown sugar, and cider vinegar, and simmer until you have a glossy, spoon-coating dark sauce balanced with fruit, spice, and gentle bitterness.
- Add the chicken to the mole and warm gently until thoroughly coated; serve with white rice, the reserved toasted sesame seeds, and fresh cilantro.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 632.2 kcal
- Protein
- 31.99 g
- Carbohydrate
- 44.52 g
- Fat
- 36.69 g
- Fibre
- 4.79 g
- Calcium
- 101.85 mg
- Iron
- 2.16 mg
- Magnesium
- 57.72 mg
