This
is my version of a very traditional Mexican sauce. The “original” recipe, created by the Sisters
of the Santa Rosa Convent in Puebla in honor of a visiting viceroy, is very
complex. It uses three different types of peppers, various seeds, several
obscure spices, has many steps and takes hours to make. This version uses all of the same primary
ingredients (30 of them!!!), simplified for ease of location in a modern
(American) grocery store and can be ready in less than an hour. Although this recipe calls for a lot of
pepper, the finished sauce is only moderately spicy. If you are still concerned, reduce the amount
of cayenne rather than leaving the others out.
1 large green or
sweet red pepper, cut into small pieces, including seeds
1 whole jalapeno
pepper, sliced, with seeds
¼ - ½ of a medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 Tbs. minced
garlic
1-2 Tbs. olive oil
1. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the vegetables and sauté until slightly
soft; about 10 min.
2. Add:
2 cups chicken stock (will probably
need more to add as the sauce cooks)
½ cup beer
1 (14 oz.) can stewed tomatoes,
with juice (very ripe fresh tomatoes can be used)
¼ tsp sesame oil
¼ tsp. vanilla
1 Tbs. peanut butter
1 Tbs. ground almonds
1 Tbs. raisins (10-12)
¼ - ½ tsp. cayenne powder (to taste)
¼ tsp. ancho pepper powder
(McCormack Spices makes a good one)
¼ tsp chipotle pepper powder
(McCormack Spices makes a good one)
1 Tbs. chili powder
½ tsp. fresh course-ground black
pepper
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. coriander
¼ tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of anise seed
1 Tbs. sesame seeds
1 bay leaf
1-2 Tbs. cocoa powder
1-2 Tbs. sugar (match the amount of
cocoa used)
1 Tbs. plain bread crumbs
1 Tbs. corn meal
3. Bring to a hard
boil and cook until the pepper is very soft; probably about 30 minutes. Stir frequently as the sauce will
thicken. Add more stock or water if it
gets too pasty.
4. Once the peppers
are soft, remove the bay leaf and pour the mix into a food processor and process until completely
smooth (may take a minute or two).
Return the puree to the frying pan.
5. Reduce the heat to
medium low and cook until the sauce reduces and thickens. Stir frequently – this can scorch very
easily! You may need to add a little more sugar, depending on the sweetness of
the tomatoes and peppers and how sweet you like the sauce.
Uses:
“Classic” Mole: After
pureeing the sauce, pour it over (raw) chicken pieces in a baking pan. Cover and bake until the chicken is cooked,
frequently spooning sauce over the chicken as it cooks. You may want to skip
step 5 if you make this option. Add
additional stock if it starts to dry out too much. Serve with flour tortillas.
“Easy” Mole: After
pureeing the sauce, return it to the frying pan and add pre-cooked chicken meat
to the sauce. Cook until the sauce
thickens. Serve with flour tortillas.
