Chicken Mole

Ingredients

• 1 (4-pound) chicken, cut into pieces
• 1 medium white onion, peeled and quartered
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1 sprig oregano
• 1 sprig thyme
• Cilantro stems
• ¹/₂ teaspoon black peppercorns

Ingredients for Mole Sauce

• 4 dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, and deveined
• 4 dried mulato chiles
• 4 pasilla chiles
• 1 quart chicken stock, reserved from poaching chicken, above
• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons shelled unsalted peanuts
• 1 medium white onion, cut into large dice
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• ¹/₂ cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
• 3 black peppercorns
• 2 whole cloves
• ¹/₂ teaspoon coriander seeds
• ¹/₂ corn tortilla, torn into small pieces
• 2 ounces Mexican chocolate or unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• ³/₄ teaspoon salt

Cooking Instructions

1. In a large pot, place the chicken, quartered onion, garlic, oregano, thyme, cilantro, and peppercorns. Cover all ingredients with water and boil.
2. Lower the heat and simmer for half an hour.
3. Remove the chicken and set aside.
4. Strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer and reserve for the mole.
5. Toast the chilis in a pan till they turn a deep brown.
6. Put the chilis in a soup bowl with the stock for half an hour.
7. Heat some oil in a pan and cook the onions and garlic until the onions become translucent
8. Heat some oil and cook the sesame seeds, peanuts, cinnamon, peppercorns, cloves, tortilla pieces and coriander until they turn golden brown.
9. Make a puree out of the drained chili, nut mix, and a bit of chicken stock. The puree should have a pasty consitency.
10. To the skillet, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add the paste and and simmer, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.
11. Add 2 cups of chicken stock, the chocolate, and salt, and bring to a boil.
12. Reduce the heat, and cook, stirring, to melt the chocolate.
13. Add the cooked chicken and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, adding more stock, as needed, if the sauce becomes too thick, and basting the chicken occasionally as it cooks.
14. Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning, to taste. Serve