Chicken Mole Ole Food

SLOW-COOKER CHICKEN MOLE

Steps:

• For the chicken mole: Place the ancho and pasilla chiles, slivered almonds and pepitas in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Toast until the pepitas begin to pop and the almonds are deep golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the chiles to a small bowl and cover with boiling water; set another small bowl on top of the chiles to keep them submerged. Let soak for 30 minutes. Set the almonds and pepitas aside.
• Meanwhile, place the Mexican chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high power for 1 minute. Stir together the melted chocolate; unlike conventional chocolate, it will have a grainy, paste-like consistency.
• Add the melted chocolate to a food processor with the toasted almonds and pepitas and the onions, garlic, sesame seeds, tomatoes, raisins, vinegar, chipotle puree and pepper, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, cloves and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Drain the ancho and pasilla chiles and add them to the food processor. Process to a smooth sauce.
• Place the chicken breasts and legs in a 6.5-quart slow cooker and sprinkle liberally with salt. Pour the mole sauce over the chicken, spreading it to cover completely. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high power for 4 hours.
• For the radish salad: About 10 minutes before serving, toss the radishes, radish leaves, cilantro and lime juice together. Season with salt to taste.
• To serve: Place the tortillas over a medium flame (or on a grill or grill pan) and heat until charred in spots but still soft enough to fold.
• Carefully remove the chicken from the slow cooker to a platter. Spoon some mole sauce over the top; serve extra sauce in a bowl on the side. To the platter, add the radish salad, charred tortillas, and lime wedges. Garnish the chicken with the toasted sesame seeds.

CHICKEN MOLE

Steps:

• Split, stem, and seed the chilies. Toast them in a medium dry skillet over medium-high heat, flipping and flattening with a spatula, until fragrant, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer the chilies to a bowl, cover with very hot water, and set aside until soft and pliable, about 30 minutes and then drain.
• Adjust the oven rack to its highest position and preheat the broiler to high. Put the tomatoes, onion, and garlic on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil the vegetables until the skins are charred and the garlic is soft, flipping as needed, about 8 minutes for the tomatoes and onions and 3 minutes for the garlic. Cool and then squeeze the garlic out of their skins, and put in a blender along with the drained chiles, tomatoes, onion, 3/4 cup chicken broth, chocolate, almonds, oregano, cinnamon, cloves, bread and chipotle en adobo. Blend until smooth.
• Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Carefully add the mole mixture and cook, stirring, until thick and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the remaining chicken broth. (The mole sauce can be made to this point a day ahead and refrigerated.)
• Add the chicken to the sauce and simmer until the chicken is heated through, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, scatter the sesame seeds over top and serve with rice if using.
• Put the onion and chicken in a medium saucepan. Cover with the broth and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook until the chicken is just firm to the touch, about 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, uncover, and cool the chicken in the liquid for about 30 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken to a large dish or bowl to cool completely, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Strain the broth and store, covered, in the refrigerator for 3 days or freeze for later use. Remove any fat from the surface of the broth before using.

CHICKEN MOLE

Steps:

• Put the chicken and peppercorns in a large pot, cover with water and season with salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over low heat and cook until tender, about 40 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a large plate and set the cooking liquid aside.
• Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, tossing, until golden, about 5 minutes. Set aside 2 tablespoons for garnish and transfer the rest to a blender. In the same skillet, toast the cloves, cinnamon stick, and anise and coriander seeds until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add to the blender.
• Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chile peppers. Heat 4 tablespoons canola oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the chiles and fry until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with hot water and set aside to soak until pliable, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the raisins, almonds, pumpkin seeds and tortilla pieces to the oil in the skillet and cook, stirring, until the seeds and tortillas are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add to the blender along with the oil from the skillet. Add the softened chiles and puree, pouring in 2 to 3 cups of the soaking liquid to make a thick, smooth sauce.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chile sauce and fry, stirring, until thickened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add 4 cups of the reserved chicken cooking liquid and simmer until the sauce starts to thicken, about 20 minutes. Add the chocolate and simmer, stirring frequently, until the chocolate melts and the sauce reduces, about 20 more minutes. Add the sugar and season with salt.
• Add the chicken pieces to the sauce and warm through over low heat. Garnish with the reserved sesame seeds.
• Photgraph by Con Poulos

EASY CHICKEN MOLE

Steps:

• To make the mole sauce, soak the chiles in 1 1/4 cups water for 15 minutes. Drain well and discard the soaking liquid.
• Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute until translucent, 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender with the chiles, chocolate, chicken broth, peanut butter, sugar, oregano and tostadas and blend until very smooth. Transfer the sauce to a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper. Add the rotisserie chicken pieces and stir to combine.

CHICKEN MOLE

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add chicken to pot; sauté until lightly browned, adding more oil by tablespoonfuls as needed, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to large bowl.
• Return chicken and any juices to pot. Add broth and orange juice; bring just to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until chicken is tender and just cooked through, about 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until golden brown, about 18 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add almonds, garlic, cumin, and coriander. Sautéuntil nuts and garlic begin to color, about 2 minutes. Add chiles and stir until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes.
• Using tongs, transfer chicken to large bowl. Pour chicken cooking liquid into saucepan with onion mixture (reserve pot). Add raisins, orange peel, and oregano to saucepan. Cover and simmer until chiles are very soft, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat; add chocolate. Let stand until chocolate melts and sauce mixture cools slightly, about 15 minutes.
• Working in small batches, transfer sauce mixture to blender and puree until smooth; return to reserved pot. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Coarsely shred chicken and return to sauce; stir to coat. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Chill until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm over low heat before serving.
• Transfer chicken mole to bowl. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with warm tortillas.

CHICKEN MOLE POBLANO

Steps:

• For the mole: Tear the ancho, anaheim, and chipotle chiles into large pieces and toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat until they change color a bit, about 2 minutes. Put them into a bowl with the raisins and cover them with hot water. Soak unti softened, about 30 minutes. In the same skillet over medium heat, add the almonds, sesame seeds, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, oregano, and thyme. Toast for 2 minutes, grind in a spice grinder, and add the powder to a blender. In the same skillet over medium-high heat add the olive oil, onions, garlic, and serrano. Cook until lightly browned, then add the tomatoes. Cook until vegetables are softened, about 10 to 15 minutes, then add to the blender. Add the chocolate and the soaked chiles and raisins to the blender along with some of the chile soaking liquid. Puree, adding more soaking liquid as needed, to make a smooth sauce. (This makes about 4 cups sauce, the recipe uses 2 cups, the extra can be frozen).
• Pour the lemon juice over the chicken and season it well with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet and brown the chicken on all sides; remove the browned chicken to a plate leaving the oil in the pan. Pour 2 cups of the mole sauce into the hot skillet and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and return the chicken pieces to the pan. Simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put the onion and radish slices into a bowl. Add the lime juice and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt. Mix well and serve with the chicken.
• Serve over cooked white rice with the onion and radish salad. Garnish everything with cilantro leaves.

EASY CHICKEN MOLE

Steps:

• In a heavy sauce pan boil the chicken thighs, no need to salt the water but you may if you desire. Don't discard the cooking water you will use it later.
• In a blender combine the premade Mole sauce and jalapenos. Using the jar the Mole came in add 3 jarfuls of the cooking water you used to cook the chicken. Blend until smooth and you don't see chunks of jalapenos.
• (Note: before blending you may want to wait for the water to cool down for a few minutes the heat of the water may make your blender top fly off spraying mole sauce everywhere. Experience talks--trust me.).
• Discard the unused water, leaving the chicken in the pot, once you have blended the mole sauce add it to the chicken and stir heating it through.
• Serve and enjoy! Try it with my Rice Recipe #199280, and corn tortillas.

OLE' MOLE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Toast the sesame seeds in a small, hot frying pan until golden brown, watch them closely.
• Remove from pan.
• Put almonds in pan and toast them to a golden brown.
• Don't cheat on these steps, the golden brown color imparts a lot of flavor.
• Remove from pan.
• Put the chili in the pan and heat until it is softened well.
• Remove from pan.
• In a six quart oven proof pot, with lid, combine onion, garlic, raisins, chile powder, coriander, cloves, anise seeds, cinnamon, chile, almonds and sesame seeds.
• Rinse the chicken, pat dry, and place on top of the mix.
• Pour in tomatoes.
• Pour in 2 cups water.
• Mix tomato paste and tequila, pour over the chicken.
• Cover and cook at 325 for 2 hours.
• Check every 20 minutes to make sure there is still liquid in the pot.
• When chicken is tender, remove it to a plate.
• Remove cinnamon stick and the stem of the chile.
• Put the rest of the mix in a food processor and chop it up until it is smooth.
• Add the chocolate and pulse it twice.
• Wait a few minutes for the chocolate to melt from the heat of the mix.
• Then whirl the mixture a few more times until well blended.
• Remove the skin and shred the chicken into a large serving dish.
• Pour the mole sauce over it.
• Prepare to enter heaven.
• Serve with corn tortillas and more tequila.
• Cooked chayote squash makes a nice accompaniment.

CHICKEN MOLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400F.
• Place the chicken breasts in a baking dish and set aside. In a large non-stick saucepan, heat the oil.
• Add the green onions and garlic and saute over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the tomato puree, raisins, water and coriander and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes uncovered.
• Pour the sauce over the chicken and bake for 30-45 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

CHICKEN MOLE WITH CORIANDER RICE

Steps:

• Put the chillies in a bowl and add enough boiling water to just cover. Leave to soften for 20 mins. If you can't find anchos, grill red peppers until they're really blackened and soft. Cool them, then peel and use as needed in the recipe, adding 1 tsp smoked paprika and a little extra chipotle to re-create the sweet, smoky flavour.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a flameproof casserole dish, season the chicken, then brown on all sides. You may have to do this in batches so you don't overcrowd the dish. Remove to a plate. Add the onions to the dish and cook for 5 mins until softened. Add the spices and cook for 1 min until aromatic.
• Remove the chillies from their soaking liquid, reserving the liquid, and discard the stalks and seeds. Put in a food processor with 4 tbsp of the soaking liquid, the garlic and raisins. Whizz to a paste, then tip into the dish. Add the peanut butter, chipotle paste, tomatoes and 400ml water (fill up the tomato can and swirl to get all the tomato bits out). Return the chicken to the dish and season. Cover with a lid and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hr.
• Remove the chicken pieces to a plate. Using 2 forks, shred the meat and discard the bones. Return the chicken to the sauce, add the chocolate and continue cooking, uncovered, for 30 mins more. If the sauce looks like it's getting a little too thick, add some of the chilli soaking liquid or some water.
• Cook the rice following pack instructions. Meanwhile, put the red onion in a small bowl. Add the lime juice and a pinch of salt. Leave to pickle until ready to serve. When the rice is cooked, add the coriander and lime zest and juice, and fluff up with a fork. Remove the mole from the heat, scatter with the pickled red onion and serve alongside the rice, with soured cream and lime wedges, if you like.