Mole Poblano

The Chiles:

1/2 cup lard

8 Mulato Chiles, seeds and veins removed

5 Ancho Chiles, seeds and veins removed

6 Pasilla Chiles, seeds and veins removed

3 Chipotle Chiles, seeds and veins removed

-Reserve 1 Tbs seeds for later-

Other ingredients to fry and blend:

1/4 cup of lard

2.5 cups of chicken or turkey stock

1/2 cup of cooked tomatillos

10 garlic cloves, charred

1 onion, quartered and fried

20 unskinned almonds

1/2 cup shelled peanuts

1/3 cup of hulled pumpkin seeds

1 dried corn tortilla, sliced

3 slices of stale bread, sliced

2 tbs raisins

1.5 OZ Mexican Drinking Chocolate (like brand Abuelita)

7 Tbs. Sesame seeds

1/2 banana (optional)

Spices to toast and grind:

4 whole cloves

10 peppercorns

1/2 cinnamon stick

1/8 tsp toasted Coriander seeds

1 Tbs of reserved Chile seeds from above

4 Tbs toasted sesame seeds

Final and necessary ingredients:

Salt to taste at the end

Chicken Broth or Turkey broth (4 cups) to dilute the finished Mole before serving

The Chiles:

Open each Chile, remove membranes and seeds and reserve the seeds. This takes time but is a valuable investment.

Heat the lard in a skillet and fry the chiles on both sides until they turn a tobacco color. Take care that they dont burn

Reserve lard

Transfer chiles to a bowl of cold water and let them soak for an hour. Then drain and do not attempt to skin

Add to a blender if available or processor if not and blend. If too dry, add just enough stock to allow blending or processing

Return lard to skillet or casserole and cook this Chile paste for about 10 minutes, scraping bottom fairly constantly to avoid sticking

Set aside casserole

Frying the other ingredients:

Fry the Tomatillos over medium heat on a skillet turning them occasionally until soft but not breaking apart. Add to a blender or processor

Add 1 cup of stock to blender and blend

Fry whole garlic cloves until golden and add to blender

Separately grind the toasted spices and seeds until fine powder and add the resulting powder blend to blender

Melt 1/4 cup of lard and separately fry the raisins, then almonds, then pumpkin seeds, then peanuts, then tortilla slices and finally bread. Crush all together to facilitate blending and add to blender

Break chocolate into pieces and fry until soft then add to blender

Add an additional cup of stock. Blend well

Add the resulting paste to the skillet or casserole with the fried Chile paste and cook for 5-10 minutes again while again scraping to avoid burning

Note:

If you find in the end that the mole is too acid or sharp, you can add 1/2 of a ripe banana to the blend

The Mole can actually be done to this point in advance and actually frozen.

Final Preparations and Serving:

Add equal amount of chicken or turkey stock to skillet or casserole (probably around 4 cups) and cook for 30 minutes

Add cooked turkey or chicken or pork (you choose) and cook for an additional 20 minutes

Serve over rice and sprinkle with sesame seeds

Chef's notes