Mexican cuisine · Vegetable Dishes

Romeritos en Mole

Delicate saltwort sprigs in dark mole with potatoes and strips of cactus paddle, the dish of Mexican Lent.

Ingredients · for 6 servings

• 800 g romeritos (saltwort, or young spinach with samphire)
• 400 g waxy potatoes
• 300 g nopales (jarred cactus paddles)
• 4 dried ancho chilies
• 3 dried guajillo chilies
• 40 g sesame seeds
• 40 g almonds
• 50 g dark chocolate
• 1 white onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 800 ml vegetable stock
• 4 tbsp sunflower oil

Instructions

1. Strip the romeritos from their tough stems, wash thoroughly and blanch in boiling salted water for 3 min, then shock in cold water and squeeze out well.
2. Peel the potatoes, cut into 2 cm cubes and cook in salted water for 12 min; rinse the nopales, drain and cut into strips.
3. Seed the ancho and guajillo chilies, fry in 2 tbsp oil for 20 sec per side until fragrant, and soak in hot water for 15 min.
4. Toast the sesame and almonds in a dry pan for 4 min until golden, purée very finely with the soaked chilies, onion, garlic and 300 ml stock, and pass through a sieve.
5. Heat the remaining oil in a wide pot, stir in the mole purée and reduce for 10 min, stirring, then add the chocolate and the rest of the stock and simmer over low heat for another 10 min into a dark, velvety sauce.
6. Add the romeritos, potatoes and nopales to the sauce, let sit for 8 min, adjust the seasoning and serve hot in deep bowls.