Mexican cuisine · Meat & Kebab

Mole Poblano

Chicken in Puebla's famous sauce of chiles, almonds, raisins and dark chocolate, finished with a scattering of sesame seeds.

Ingredients · for 6 servings

• 1.2 kg chicken pieces
• 4 dried ancho chiles
• 3 dried mulato chiles
• 2 dried pasilla chiles
• 60 g almonds
• 4 tbsp sesame seeds
• 60 g raisins
• 1 white onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp cinnamon and 3 cloves
• 50 g dark chocolate
• 1.2 litres chicken stock

Instructions

1. Poach the chicken pieces in the chicken stock over low heat for 30 min., then remove and reserve the stock for the sauce.
2. Seed the ancho, mulato and pasilla chiles, toast in a dry pan for 30 sec. per side until fragrant, then soak in hot water for 20 min.
3. In the same pan, toast the almonds, 3 tbsp of the sesame seeds, the raisins, the roughly diced onion and the garlic one after another until golden — the raisins should only plump up.
4. Blend everything with the drained chiles, cinnamon, cloves and 400 ml of stock until very smooth, then press through a sieve until the paste is velvety.
5. Simmer the paste in a wide pot, stirring, for 15 min. until it turns dark and glossy, then stir in the remaining stock and the chocolate and let simmer over low heat for 30 min.
6. Warm the chicken pieces through in the sauce for 10 min., season to taste, and serve sprinkled with the remaining sesame seeds.