Puebla Style Chicken Mole Food

MOLE POBLANO CON POLLO

Steps:

• Make the sauce first.
• Melt half the lard in a large saucepan. Cook the chilies, onion and garlic for 5 minutes
• Add the sesame seeds, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, almonds, peanuts and peppercorns.
• Cook for 10 minutes.
• Process the mixture in a food processor, adding a small amount of chicken stock to make a smooth paste.
• Melt the remaining lard in the pan and cook the tomatoes.
• Add tortilla, ground cinnamon, cloves, chili powder, raisins, salt and pumpkin seeds.
• Cook for 5 minutes.
• Add this mixture to the bowl of the food processor, and process until smooth.
• Add more chicken stock if required. (The mole paste should be quite thick now).
• Return all the processed mixture to the pan and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
• Add the chocolate and allow it to melt, stirring all the time.
• Add the vinegar and the remaining chicken stock. (The sauce should now be very thick).
• At this point check the seasoning.
• If the mole sauce is not spicy enough add more chili powder.
• The taste will be raw.
• When the sauce has cooled store in the refrigerator.
• Leave for 24 - 48 hours.
• Pour (spoon) about a quarter of the sauce into the bottom of a large saucepan.
• Add the chicken and cover with remaining sauce.
• Warm gently.
• Serve the chicken masked with the sauce sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.

PUEBLA STYLE CHICKEN MOLE

Steps:

• Bring 800 ml water to boil and add chicken fillets. Simmer till just stiffened. Remove chicken and cover to prevent their drying out. Reserve the resulting chicken stock.
• Heat oil in large saucepan and fry mole paste till fragrant. In a blender or food processor, combine onion, garlic, tomato, banana and sugar. Add this paste to the mole in the pan. Stir and simmer over low heat for 3 minutes.
• Add 3 cups chicken stock, cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes, till mixture thickens to a creamy consistency. If too thick, add a little more stock. Taste for chili heat: if it's too hot, add extra sugar or blended tomato.
• Meanwhile, dry fry sesame seeds in a pan till golden brown and fragrant. Add chicken pieces to the sauce, heat through and serve sprinkled with sesame seeds.