Recipe: Mole Poblano

The avocado industry tells us that Cinco de Mayo is a time for guacamole--nearly 40 million pounds of it.  We love guacamole (best with just avocado, onion, serrano/jalepeno peppers, cilantro, and salt to taste), but figured Mole Poblano is a more fitting choice for Cinco de Mayo.  The holiday celebrates the unlikely victory of Mexican troops over the invading French army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, though the French went on to bring in reinforcements, win Mexico City, and rule until 1867.

Traditional mole as we know it (mole is simply an indigenous word for sauce) was born in the convents of Puebla long before the battle.  According to Diana Kennedy, the Julia Child of Mexican cuisine, nuns created mole for visiting church dignitaries, and either wanted to blend a sauce from Old and New World ingredients, or spilled their spice rack into a pot of turkey.  Both turkey and chocolate come pre-Columbian Mexico.

Mole is a sauce greater than the sum of its parts--Kennedy's recipe has more than 20 ingredients--and chocolate actually plays a relatively small role.  The fruity, roasted notes and silky body come from toasted chiles and nuts.  Every recipe, even every batch, will vary, but here's an easy way to start:

1.  Toast in a cast iron pan or toaster oven until fragrant and soft, being careful not to scorch:  Approximately 10 mulato chiles, 5 ancho chiles, and 5 pasilla chiles (all dried--you can substitute more readily available New Mexico or California chiles if necessary, but most of the chiles should be either mulato or ancho; you can find all of them at Gourmetsleuth.com).  Put the chiles in a bowl of warm water to soak during the next steps, then drain, stem, and seed before blending.

2.  Toast until fragrant:  1 tsp. coriander, 1 tsp. / stick cinnamon, 1 tsp. anise, 1/2 tsp. / 4 cloves.

3.  Toast until fragrant but not browned:  1 cup almonds / sesame seeds / pumpkin seeds / mix, and two cloves garlic.

4.  Blend until smooth all ingredients, plus:  1 chopped white onion, 1 chopped tortilla, 8 oz. tomatoes or tomatillos, and 1/3 cup raisins, 1 14.5 oz. can chicken broth (or more if necessary to release blender blades).

5.  Fry blended mixture in 2 tbsp. vegetable oil over medium-high heat for a minute or two, stirring constantly.

6.  Reduce heat to low, mix in and melt 2 ozs. unsweetened chocolate, and simmer for at least 30 mins.  Gradually add more chicken broth as necessary keep sauce from burning.

7.  Add 2-3 lbs. browned chicken during the simmering process to cook, or serve over roast chicken or (more authentically) turkey.  Serves 6-8, and can be frozen and later reheated with additional chicken broth.

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