Mole Poblano Recipe

🧂 Ingredients

• 6 guajillo peppers
• 6 pasilla peppers
• 4 ancho peppers
• 4 mulato peppers
• 2 tablespoons pepper seeds

  reserved from the above dried chili peppers
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds

  + more for serving, if desired
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• ½ teaspoon cloves
• ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
• ½ teaspoon anise seeds
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon Mexican cinnamon
• 3 bay leaves

  crushed
• ½ cup pork lard for frying

  + 2 tablespoons - or use peanut oil + more as needed
• ½ plantain

  peeled and chopped
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup almonds

  skin on
• 1/3 cup peanuts
• 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds

  pepitas – best when raw
• 2 slices white bread

  use bolillo or French bread
• 2 corn tortillas

  stale tortillas are great here
• 1 onion

  chopped
• 5 cloves garlic

  minced
• 4 large tomatoes roasted and peeled

  about 1 pound
• 3.5 ounces Mexican chocolate

  100 grams
• 6 cups chicken broth or chicken stock

  + more as needed
• Salt to taste
• Optional: Sugar

  for a sweeter mole sauce

Instructions

• 1 Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chilies. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the
  seeds and set aside. Cut the peppers into flat pieces.
• 2 Heat a large pan to medium heat and dry toast the chili pepper pieces for 1-2
  minutes per side, until they darken and release some of their oils. They might
  puff up a bit.
• 3 Transfer the toasted peppers to a large bowl and cover with very hot water. Soak
  for 20-30 minutes, or until very softened.
• 4 Strain the softened peppers and reserve the soaking liquid.
• 5 Transfer the peppers to a food processor with ½ cup of the soaking liquid and
  puree until very smooth. Add more soaking liquid if needed.
• 6 Strain the pepper puree into another bowl and set aside. Discard the solids and
  any additional soaking liquid. Set the chili puree aside for now.
• 7 Heat a pan to medium heat. Add the reserved pepper seeds, sesame seeds,
  peppercorns, cloves, coriander seeds, and anise seeds. Dry toast for 1-2
  minutes, until they become fragrant. Do not burn.
• 8 Transfer to a spice grinder or food processor along with the dried thyme,
  cinnamon and bay leaves. Process until you have a uniform spice mix. Set aside.
• 9 Heat ½ cup pork lard or oil in a large pan until melted and hot. Add the
  plantain and cook for 2 minutes, until they begin to soften.
• 10 Add the raisins and cook another minute, until they start to soften.
• 11 Add the almonds, peanuts, and pumpkin seeds. Stir and cook another 1-2 minutes,
  stirring.
• 12 Transfer mixture onto paper towels to drain. Reserve the oil and set the pan
  back onto the heat.
• 13 Tear the bread and tortillas into pieces and fry them until they become crispy
  and brown, turning here and there, about 2 minutes.
• 14 Transfer the fried bread and tortillas to a food processor along with the
  drained raisins, almonds, peanuts and pumpkin seeds.
• 15 Heat the same pan back to medium heat. Add more lard or oil if needed. Add the
  onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until it softens up.
• 16 Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute.
• 17 Transfer the onion and garlic to the food processor along with the nuts and
  bread mixture.
• 18 To the food processor, add the roasted tomatoes and reserved spice mix.
• 19 Add 2 cups chicken stock and puree until nice and smooth. If needed, add a bit
  more chicken stock to ensure a very smooth mixture.
• 20 Strain this mole flavoring mixture into a second bowl and set aside for now.
  Discard any solids. NOTE: You may want to do multiple rounds of straining, then
  reprocess the solids with a bit more chicken stock to get the most out of the
  solids.
• 21 Heat 2 tablespoons lard or peanut oil in a large pot. Add the reserved chili
  puree and cook for 10 minutes, stirring, until the sauce thickens up and coats
  the back of a spoon.
• 22 Add the contents of the second bowl (the pureed and strained mole flavoring
  mixture), along with the chocolate, remaining 4 cups chicken stock and salt to
  taste.
• 23 Stir until the chocolate is melted through, then simmer for 1 hour, stirring
  occasionally, to let the flavors develop. Add more chicken stock if you’d like a
  thinner mole.
• 24 Taste and adjust for salt. If you’d like a sweeter mole, stir in 1 tablespoon
  sugar and simmer. Taste and adjust as desired.

Nutrition Info