Recipes

Here is my "simplified" recipe for  Mole Sauce

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.