Chicken Mole or Mole Poblano (Mexico)

Mole is a traditional Mexican sauce that is complex and rich in flavor, made from a blend of chilies, spices, chocolate, and other ingredients. Mole Poblano recipe takes time and a long list of ingredients, but the result is worth it! I couldn't find the Mexican chilies, but you can substitute them. The taste won't be exactly the same, but it was delicious.

Preparation time 20 mins

Cooking time 90 mins

Total time 1 hr 50 mins

Difficulty: intermediary

Servings: 6

Ingredients

For the chicken:
1 whole chicken (or chicken thighs, wings or breasts)
2 bay leaves
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
Salt to taste
For the Mole sauce:
3 dried mulato peppers (smoked paprika + a hint of Espelette pepper)
3 dried pasilla peppers (paprika + a pinch of Espelette pepper and a pinch of unsweetened cocoa)
3 dried ancho chilies (smoked paprika + a pinch of unsweetened cocoa)
1 chipotle pepper (optional to add heat)
4 ripe tomatoes
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
50 g of dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa, gluten-free)
50 g of almonds
50 g sesame seeds (plus a little for garnish)
2 slices of gluten-free bread or 2 corn tortillas (to thicken)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp oregano
2 tbsp brown sugar (or honey)
1 liter of chicken broth
Vegetable oil for cooking
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1
Step 1: Cook the chicken
2
Cooking the chicken:
3
Place the chicken in a large pot with water, onion, garlic and bay leaves. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Once cooked, remove the chicken and reserve the broth.
4
Step 2: Prepare the peppers
5
Preparation of the peppers:
6
Adapted version: use the replacement ingredients (paprika, smoked paprika, Espelette pepper and cocoa) which you will mix into the preparation in step 4.

Traditional version: Remove the seeds and stems from the mulato, pasilla, and ancho chiles. Heat a skillet without oil and dry-roast the chiles for a few minutes, until fragrant. Be careful not to burn them. Then, soak the chiles in hot water for about 15 to 20 minutes to rehydrate them. Drain and set aside.
7
Step 3: Prepare the other ingredients
8
Roast the tomatoes and onion:
9
In a pan, roast the tomatoes, onion cut into large pieces, and garlic cloves until slightly blackened.
10
Toast the spices and bread:
11
In a pan, toast the sesame seeds, almonds, cumin, cinnamon, and cloves for 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant. Next, lightly toast the gluten-free bread slices or corn tortillas.
12
Step 4: Prepare the Mole Sauce
13
Mix the ingredients:
14
In a blender or blender, place the rehydrated chili peppers, roasted tomatoes, onion, garlic, toasted spices, bread/tortillas, and chicken broth (add it little by little). Blend until you get a smooth sauce. If it is too thick, add more broth.
15
Cook the sauce:
16
In a large saucepan, heat a little vegetable oil and pour in the mole sauce. Cook it over low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent it from sticking. Add the dark chocolate to the sauce and let it melt completely. Adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and sugar if necessary.
17
Step 5: Assemble the dish. Once the sauce is ready, add the cooked chicken pieces to the pan to warm them in the mole sauce. Serve hot, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds for garnish.
18
Accompaniement :
19
Chicken Mole is usually served with white rice or corn tortillas.
20
Tips:
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The Mole is even better the next day, after the flavors have had time to marry.
22
Mole sauce can be made in large quantities and frozen for later meals.

Keywords: gluten-free mole poblano, gluten-free Mexican recipe, adapted Mexican cuisine, poultry with chocolate sauce, traditional Mexican recipe