Authentic Chicken Mole

Authentic Chicken Mole is a rich, flavorful Mexican dish that combines complex ingredients and spices to create a delicious sauce. Mole is often made with chili peppers, chocolate, spices, and other seasonings. Here’s a traditional recipe for making authentic Chicken Mole:

Ingredients:

For the Mole Sauce:

• 3 dried ancho chiles, seeds and stems removed
• 2 dried pasilla chiles, seeds and stems removed
• 2 dried mulato chiles, seeds and stems removed
• 1 dried chipotle chile (optional, for smokiness)
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds (plus extra for garnish)
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup almonds (or peanuts)
• 1/4 cup raisins or dried prunes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1/4 cup peanut oil or vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate (or Mexican chocolate)
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock (more as needed)
• 1 tbsp sugar (optional)
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or Mexican vinegar
• Salt to taste

For the Chicken:

• 1 whole chicken (cut into parts) or about 4 bone-in chicken thighs and breasts
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt to taste

Instructions:

Prepare the Chicken:

1. In a large pot, cover the chicken pieces with water. Add onion, garlic, bay leaf, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 45 minutes or until the chicken is tender and fully cooked.
2. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pot and set aside. Reserve the broth (you will use it for the mole sauce). When cool enough to handle, shred the chicken or leave it in pieces as desired.

Make the Mole Sauce:

1. Toast the dried chiles: In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the ancho, pasilla, mulato, and chipotle chiles until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to burn them. Once toasted, place them in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let them rehydrate for about 20 minutes. After soaking, remove the stems and seeds.
2. Toast the seeds and spices: In the same skillet, lightly toast the sesame seeds, cumin, coriander, black peppercorns, cinnamon, and cloves for about 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Let them cool and then grind to a powder using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
3. Cook the mole: In a large pan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the chopped tomato and cook for another 2-3 minutes until softened.
4. Blend the mole: In a blender, combine the rehydrated chiles, toasted seeds and spices, raisins (or prunes), and tomato-onion mixture. Add some of the reserved chicken broth to help blend everything smoothly into a thick paste. If the sauce is too thick, you can add more chicken broth.
5. Simmer the mole: Pour the blended mole sauce back into the pan and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Add the chicken stock, chocolate, sugar (if using), vinegar, and salt to taste. Let it cook for about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The mole should be thick and well-blended. Adjust seasoning if needed.

Assemble the Dish:

1. Add the shredded or whole chicken pieces to the mole sauce and simmer for another 10-15 minutes, allowing the chicken to soak up the flavors of the mole.
2. Garnish with sesame seeds before serving.

Serving:

Serve the chicken mole over rice, with warm tortillas on the side, and perhaps some Mexican crema or sour cream for added richness. The deep, complex flavors of the mole sauce are what make this dish truly special.

Enjoy your authentic Chicken Mole!