Mexican cuisine · Meat & Kebab

Chicken in Black Mole

Chicken in deep-dark Oaxaca mole made from roasted chilies, chocolate, almonds and sesame.

Ingredients · for 6 servings

• 1 chicken (about 1.4 kg)
• 8 dried ancho chilies
• 4 dried pasilla chilies
• 80 g almonds
• 50 g sesame seeds
• 3 tomatoes
• 1 white onion
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp cinnamon, 3 cloves and 1 tsp peppercorns
• 80 g dark chocolate
• 5 tbsp oil
• Salt

Instructions

1. Cut up the chicken, place in a pot with 1.5 l water, the halved onion and two garlic cloves, simmer gently for 45 min, then strain the broth; keep the meat warm.
2. Stem and seed the chilies, reserving the seeds, and toast in a dry pan until they nearly smoke black — this gives the mole its dark color.
3. Pour 500 ml hot broth over the chilies and seeds and soak for 20 min; meanwhile toast the almonds and sesame in 2 tbsp oil for 4 min until golden.
4. Toast the tomatoes, remaining garlic, cinnamon, cloves and peppercorns as well, then purée everything very finely with the chilies and soaking broth and pass through a fine sieve.
5. Heat the remaining oil in a heavy pot, add the paste — it will spatter briefly — and fry, stirring constantly, for 10 min, until it turns dark and glossy; then dilute with 700 ml broth and simmer uncovered over low heat for 40 min.
6. Stir in the chocolate, season generously with salt, warm the chicken pieces in the sauce for 10 min and serve sprinkled with sesame alongside rice.