Mole Sauce
Equally famous with salsa is the Mole. Mole is commonly referred to as the “royal sauce”. The name is from the Nahuatl word “moli” which means a mixture or a concoction. The first known mole is the one which has some bitter chocolate during the pre-Columbian times. People, however, are still debating whether this kind of mole actually existed at that time because of the lack of proof. These days, mole ingredients vary by type of mole. A mole could have sesame seeds, chili peppers, cinnamon, chocolate, tomato, garlic, onions, peanuts and some other seeds. Mole types are black, red, yellow, green, almendrado and pipian. The states of Puebla and Oaxaca in Mexico are famous for their delicious and popular kinds of mole. Mole may be eaten on tostadas and bolillos.
Mole Negro is considered the most famous among the moles because of the difficulty in its preparation and it traditionally having six different kinds of chilies that dominate the sauce. The six chilies are Chilguacle Negro, Mulatto, Pasilla, Ancho, Guajillo, and Chipotle.
The Mexican state of Puebla boasts their Mole Poblano. When Americans think of mole, Mole Poblano is actually what they have in mind. The chilies used for this kind is commonly ancho, pasilla, mulato or chipotle which are dried and re-hydrated during preparation of the sauce. To make Mole Poblano, the following ingredients are needed:
* 1/4 pound sesame seeds
* Olive oil, for cooking
* 1/4 pound almonds
* 1/4 pound peanuts
* 3 bananas or plantains
* 1 pound raisins
* 1/4 pound tomatoes
* 1 pound fire roasted poblano chilies, re-hydrated in water
* 1/4 teaspoon aniseeds
* 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1 ounce unsweetened Mexican chocolate
* 2 pre-cooked turkey legs
Toast the sesame seeds in a medium pan. Afterwards, place the toasted sesame seeds in the food processor. In the same pan, add some oil and fry the following one by one and add in the food processor each time frying is done: almonds, peanuts, plantains, raisins, and lastly tomatoes. Add the poblanos, aniseeds and cinnamon in the food processor and grind everything together. Thin the mixture with the leftover water used in re-hydrating the chilies. Heat oil in a large saucepan and bring out the flavors of the mixture by cooking it in oil. Add the chocolate and wait until it melts with the mixture. Add the pre-cooked turkey legs and let it simmer until the turkey is heated through.
A typical mole served with chicken is the Mole de cacahuete or peanut mole. This Pollo en Mole de Cacahuate (Chicken with peanut mole sauce) recipe will need the following to make 6 to 8 servings:
* 1 (4-pound) stewing chicken, cut up
* 8 cups water
* 4 stalks celery with leaves
* 1 medium carrot, sliced
* 1 small onion, cut up
* 2 sprigs parsley
* 2 teaspoons instant chicken bouillon granules
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 1/2 of a 10-ounce can (2/3 cup) tomatoes with green chilies
* 2 slices white bread, torn
* 2 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter
* 4 whole cloves
* 3 whole black peppercorns
* 1 (1/2-inch stick) cinnamon
* 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
* 1 small clove garlic, minced
Prepare the chicken by putting the chunks in a Dutch oven with water. Add celery, carrot, onion, parsley, bouillon granules, and pepper. Bring to boiling point. Cover and cook over low heat 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until the chicken chunks are tender. Remove the chicken from the oven and place in a 2-quart casserole. Strain the broth and skim off fat. Reserve 1-1/2 cups of the broth for sauce (cover and refrigerate remaining broth for another use). To make the mole sauce, place the reserved chicken broth, tomatoes with green chilies, bread, and peanut butter in a blender or food processor. Process until a smooth consistency is achieved. Put this mixture in a 2-quart saucepan. Let it stand while crushing together the cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon using a mortar and pestle. Add those dry ingredients in the saucepan plus the chili powder and minced garlic. Reduce the heat once it starts to boil. Simmer uncovered for about 15 to 20 minutes or until thickened, while constantly stirring. Spoon the mole over the chicken in the casserole. Cover the casserole and bake in oven with 350 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes or until heated through.
Other Mole recipes are available in most Mexican cookbooks. There is the Mole Mancha Manteles which has a strong Ancho chili flavor and is famous for dressing some plantains and pineapples. Another is the Mole Coloradito, a sauce which is dark red in color because of cinnamon, has a simple taste, and uses ancho and pasilla or guajillo chilies. Mole Rojo which is lighter in color, spicier than the Coloradito, and uses Ancho and Guajillo chilies. Mole Verde is made green using tomatillos instead of the regular tomatoes. Mole Chichilo is a not so common kind because of its odd ashy flavor. The steps in making these other types of moles are similar to those that are presented except that the ingredients vary among them. Enjoying a mole in dishes has just been made easy to be prepared at home.
