Chicken Mole or Mole Poblano (Mexico)

Mole is a complex and flavorful traditional Mexican sauce made from a blend of chilies, spices, chocolate, and other ingredients. Mole Poblano , one of the most famous variations, is served with chicken. This recipe requires time and a long list of ingredients, but the result is worth it! I couldn't find Mexican chilies, but they can be substituted. The taste won't be exactly the same, but it was delicious.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time 90 minutes

Total time 1 hour 50 minutes

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 6

Special diet: suitable for gluten-free diet

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 pinch 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 chili pepper (optional to add spice)
4 ripe tomatoes
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
50g of dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa, gluten-free )
50g of almonds
50g of sesame seeds (plus a little extra 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 teaspoon of oregano
2 tablespoons of 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, the onion, garlic, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Once cooked, remove the chicken and reserve the broth.
4
Step 2: Prepare the chili peppers
5
Preparing the chilies:
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 method: Remove the seeds and stems from the mulato, pasilla, and ancho peppers. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and dry-roast the peppers for a few minutes, until fragrant. Be careful not to burn them. Then, soak the peppers 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, the onion cut into large pieces, and the garlic cloves until they are 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. Then, lightly toast the gluten-free bread slices or corn tortillas.
12
Step 4: Prepare the Mole Sauce
13
Mix the ingredients:
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In a food processor or blender, combine the rehydrated chilies, roasted tomatoes, onion, garlic, toasted spices, bread/tortillas, and chicken broth (add it gradually). Blend until smooth. If it's too thick, add more broth.
15
Cook the sauce:
16
In a large saucepan, heat a little vegetable oil and add the mole sauce. Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent sticking. Add the dark chocolate to the sauce and let it melt completely. Adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and sugar as needed.
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Step 5: Assemble the dish. Once the sauce is ready, add the cooked chicken pieces to the pot to warm them through in the mole sauce. Serve hot, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds for garnish.
18
Accompaniement :
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Chicken Mole is usually served with white rice or corn tortillas.
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Tips:
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Mole tastes even better the next day, after the flavors have had time to meld.
22
Mole sauce can be prepared in large quantities and frozen for later meals.

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