Mole Poblano with Chicken

Name: Mole Poblano with Chicken
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 150 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 8 pieces of Chicken (Bone-In), legs/thighs; about 1.6–1.8 kg; 2 tsp Salt, fine; 1.5 l Chicken Stock, for poaching; reserve for the sauce; 6 pieces of Ancho Chile, dried, stems and seeds removed; 4 pieces of Dried Mulato Chiles, stems and seeds removed; 3 Dried Pasilla Chiles, stems and seeds removed; 1 pieces of Dried Chipotle (Morita), stem removed; optional but traditional; 4 tbsp Lard, or neutral oil; plus a little more as needed; 1 large White Onions, roughly chopped; 6 cloves of Garlic; 2 Tomatoes, ripe; cored and quartered; 4 Tomatillos, husked and rinsed; 2 Corn Tortillas, stale; torn; 1 small Plantains, ripe; sliced; 1 pieces of Bolillo Roll, or 2 slices white bread; torn; 1/3 cups Raisins; 1/3 cups Blanched Almonds; 1/3 cups Peanuts, unsalted; 1/4 cups Sesame Seeds; 1 tbsp Sesame Seeds, for garnish; 1 Canela Sticks, Mexican; small; about 5 cm; 4 Cloves; 10 Black Peppercorns; 1/2 tsp Anise Seeds; 1 tsp Coriander Seeds; 95g Mexican Chocolate, 1 tablet; chopped; 1.1 l Chicken Stock, reserved; to blend/thin the mole; 1 1/2 tsp Salt, fine; or to taste; Some Sesame Seeds, from above; for garnish; Some White Rice, cooked; optional

Deep, smoky and slightly sweet, this classic Mole Poblano coats tender bone-in chicken with a luxurious sauce made from toasted dried chiles, nuts, seeds and Mexican chocolate. It’s a celebratory yet homey dish—serve it over steaming rice with toasted sesame and warm tortillas for a memorable meal.

Deep, smoky and slightly sweet, this classic Mole Poblano coats tender bone-in chicken with a luxurious sauce made from toasted dr... Show more

Traditional Mexican Recipe

Health Grade

B · Healthy

Rating

4.5

Time

2 hrs30 min

Price

2,52 €

Calories

704 kcal

high protein

low carb

keto

low sugar

Method

Prep the ingredients

Remove the stems and seeds from the ancho chiles, mulato chiles, pasilla chiles, and the chipotle morita if you're using it. Peel and roughly chop the white onion and garlic, core and quarter the tomatoes, and husk and rinse the tomatillos. Tear the corn tortillas and bolillo roll into pieces, peel and slice the plantain, and chop the Mexican chocolate so it melts easily later.

Season the chicken

Pat the chicken dry and sprinkle it all over with the salt. Let it sit while you get the pot ready so the seasoning starts working into the meat.

Poach gently

Arrange the chicken in a large heavy pot and pour in the chicken stock. Bring it just to a simmer over medium heat, then lower the heat so you see only a few lazy bubbles. Cook for 35 to 40 minutes, turning the pieces once or twice, until the chicken is fully cooked and tender. Transfer the chicken to a tray and reserve about 4 1/2 cups of the poaching stock for the mole.

Toast seeds and spices

Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and toast the sesame seeds, including the extra tablespoon for garnish, until lightly golden and nutty; set the garnish portion aside separately. Toast the blanched almonds and peanuts until lightly colored, then toast the canela stick, cloves, black peppercorns, anise seeds, and coriander seeds just until fragrant.

Fry the chiles

Warm 2 tablespoons of lard in the skillet over medium heat. Fry the prepared chiles in batches for a few seconds per side, pressing them gently into the fat until they darken slightly and turn pliable, then transfer them to a bowl. Do not let them blacken or the mole can turn bitter.

Brown the aromatics

Add a little more lard if the pan looks dry. Fry the onion and garlic until lightly browned at the edges, then add the tomatoes and tomatillos and cook until softened and a little charred in spots. Fry the tortilla pieces, plantain, bolillo, and raisins in batches until the tortillas and bread are golden, the plantain is caramelized, and the raisins are puffed.

Blend the mole

Working in batches in a jug blender, combine the fried chiles, browned vegetables, tortillas, plantain, bolillo, raisins, toasted almonds, peanuts, most of the toasted sesame seeds, and all of the toasted spices. Add enough reserved poaching stock to get the blades moving, then blend until completely smooth, 1 to 2 minutes per batch. For an extra-silky sauce, strain the puree back into a bowl or pot.

Fry the puree

Set the pot back over medium heat with another small spoonful of lard if needed. Carefully pour in the mole puree; it will sputter, so stir right away and keep your hands clear of the steam. Cook, stirring often and scraping the bottom, for 10 to 15 minutes until the puree darkens, thickens, and turns glossy.

Simmer the mole

Stir in the chopped Mexican chocolate, the reserved poaching stock a little at a time, and the remaining salt. Bring the sauce to a very gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the chocolate has melted and the mole is smooth, shiny, and thick enough to coat a spoon. If it gets too thick, loosen it with a splash more stock; if it still seems thin, let it simmer a bit longer.

Finish with chicken

Return the chicken to the pot and spoon the mole over each piece. Simmer very gently for 10 minutes, turning the pieces once, so the flavors come together and the chicken is fully coated in the sauce.

Serve and garnish

Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet or wrapped in a towel until soft and hot. Sprinkle the reserved toasted sesame seeds over the mole and serve with white rice if you like, plus the warm tortillas on the side.