Mole is very familiar in Mexican cuisine as a sauce to compliment a serving of rice. In Mexico, the Mole sauce comes in different flavours. It usually has a thick consistency, and it is almost dark brown/red from the Chipotle chilli.
In Mexico, the Mole paste is sold almost everywhere, but if you want a taste of this traditional Mexican sauce, you might have to make it yourself from scratch. It might take some time, but it is not that hard to make, and if you ace it, it will transport you to Mexico with every single bite.
Ingredients:
- 3 dried Chipotle Chillies
- 2 dried Ancho Chillies
- 2 dried Guajillo Chillies
- 1 tablespoon of Lard
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- ½ head of garlic, sliced
- 2 tomatoes cut in wedges
- 5 tomatillos cut in wedges
- 2 corn tortilla
- 2 slices of bread
- 3 cup chicken broth
- 5 ounce of dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 tablespoon thyme
- 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
- 5 whole cloves
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 6 whole allspice berries
- ¼ cup of raisins
- 1/3 cup of chopped peanuts
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon of salt
Directions:
- Start by toasting the Chipotle, Ancho and Guajillo chillies on a dry pan over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Put the toasted chillies in the blender with 2 cups of chicken broth that is heated in a pan for about 5 minutes until it begins to simmer.
- Shred the bread and corn tortilla and toast it lightly before putting it into the blender to be blend with the chilli and broth mixture.
- Separately, cook the sliced tomatoes and tomatillos under medium heat for about 3 minutes until it is light brown. Place the roasted tomatoes in the blender and puree.
- Clean the pan and melt the lard under medium heat. Add in the spices (cinnamon, cumin seed, thyme, allspice, cloves) along with the onion, garlic, peanuts and raisins and stir until the onion has wilted and turned slightly brown. Cook it for about 5 to 8 minutes. Turn the heat off and remove the spices from the mixture. Then add the remaining ingredients into the chilli paste blend. Continue to blend the mixture until you achieve a smooth texture.
- Place the smooth chilli puree in a pan and heat it over medium heat. Add in the dark chocolate, one cup of chicken broth and sugar and salt to taste. Continue to stir until the chocolate has fully melted and the sauce has reduced to a thick consistency.
- Serve while hot with your choice of protein and rice and be transported to Mexico.
