Mole Negro with Chicken

Name: Mole Negro with Chicken
Cook time: 100 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1.5 kg Chicken Pieces, bone-in, skin-on (legs, thighs, breasts); 1/2 White Onion; 2 cloves of Garlic, smashed; 2 Bay Leaves; 1 tsp Salt, fine; 2 l Water; 6 Mulato Chile, drieds; 4 Ancho Chile, drieds; 4 Dried Pasilla Chiles; 2 Dried Chilhuacle Negro Chiles, traditional; if unavailable, use 2 more mulato; 60g Sesame Seeds, about 1/2 cup; plus extra for garnish; 40g Blanched Almonds, about 1/3 cup; 40g Unsalted Peanuts, about 1/3 cup; 1 Plantains, ripe (maduro), peeled and sliced; 50g Raisins, about 1/3 cup; 2 Corn Tortillas, stale, torn; 1 small Bolillo Rolls, or 2 slices white bread, torn; 2 Tomatoes, medium (about 300 g); 4 Tomatillos, medium (about 250 g), husked; 1 large White Onions, thickly sliced; 6 cloves of Garlic; 100g Lard, about 1/2 cup; 1 Mexican Cinnamon Sticks, (canela), ~7 cm; 6 Whole Cloves; 10 Black Peppercorns; 1/2 tsp Anise Seeds; 1/2 tsp Coriander Seeds; 1 tsp Dried Mexican Oregano; 2 Dried Avocado Leaves, lightly toasted; 2 Hoja Santa Leaves, fresh; or 1 tsp dried, crumbled

Mole Negro with Chicken is a deep, complex Oaxacan-style sauce—smoky, sweet, and richly spiced—served over tender braised chicken. Layers of toasted chiles, nuts, seeds, dried fruits and Mexican chocolate are blended into a silky, aromatic sauce that clings to each piece of meat. This is a celebratory, slow-cooked dish that rewards patience with an unforgettable balance of heat, bitterness, sweetness and earthiness.

Mole Negro with Chicken is a deep, complex Oaxacan-style sauce—smoky, sweet, and richly spiced—served over tender braised chicken.... Show more

Traditional Mexican Recipe

Health Grade

A · Excellent

Rating

4.6

Time

1 hr40 min

Price

5,47 €

Calories

1215 kcal

healthy

high protein

low sugar

comfort food

Method

Simmer the chicken

Put the Chicken Pieces in a large pot with half the White Onion, the smashed Garlic, Bay Leaf, Salt, and Water. Bring it up to a boil, skim off any foam, then lower to a gentle simmer and cook for 35 minutes, partially covered, until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Lift out the chicken and keep it warm, then strain the liquid and measure out 1.2 l of hot Chicken Broth for the mole.

Soak the chiles

If needed, snip out any remaining stems from the Mulato Chile, Ancho Chile, Dried Pasilla Chiles, and Dried Chilhuacle Negro Chiles. Toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat, pressing them down for just a few seconds per side until they smell smoky and puff slightly, then move them to a bowl. Cover with hot water and soak for 20 minutes until soft and flexible, then drain well.

Toast and fry the base

In the same skillet, toast the Sesame Seeds until pale golden, then scoop them out and keep them aside. Toast the Blanched Almonds, Unsalted Peanuts, Mexican Cinnamon Stick, Whole Cloves, Black Peppercorns, Anise Seeds, Coriander Seeds, Dried Mexican Oregano, and Dried Avocado Leaves just until fragrant; transfer them straight to a blender. Warm about 2 tbsp of the Lard in the skillet and fry the Plantains until deeply golden and soft, then the Corn Tortilla pieces and Bolillo Roll until crisp and browned. Add the Tomato, Tomatillo, White Onion, and Garlic cloves and cook, turning as needed, until they have dark spots and the vegetables are tender. Stir in the Raisins for the last minute so they plump, then scrape everything onto a tray to cool slightly.

Blend the mole

Combine the drained chiles, the toasted sesame seeds, almonds, peanuts, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, anise, coriander, oregano, and avocado leaves, plus the fried plantain, tortilla, bolillo, tomato, tomatillo, onion, garlic, raisins, and the Hoja Santa Leaves, in a blender. Add about 1 l of hot Chicken Broth and blend until completely smooth, working in batches and adding more broth only as needed to keep the mixture moving. Scrape the puree into a bowl and hold it nearby.

Cook the sauce

Set a wide pot over medium heat and melt the remaining Lard. Pour in the mole puree and fry, stirring constantly, until it darkens to a deep brown and the fat starts to separate, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the chopped Mexican Table Chocolate and grated Piloncillo, then add the rest of the hot Chicken Broth a ladle at a time until the sauce is thick but pourable. Simmer gently, stirring often, for 20 to 25 minutes, and adjust with the remaining Salt if needed.

Finish the chicken

Return the chicken pieces to the sauce and spoon mole over them so every piece is coated. Simmer very gently for 10 minutes, turning the chicken once, until the meat is hot and the sauce clings to it like a glaze.

Serve with tortillas

Transfer the chicken to a platter or shallow bowls, spoon plenty of mole over the top, and finish with the toasted sesame seeds. Serve right away with the warm tortillas on the side.