How to Make Authentic Mole -- The Original AwesomeSauce (+Enchilada Recipe)

Three of my adopted children are of Mexican (Yucatan) descent and my eldest son, who is passionate about cooking, asked to learn how to make authentic mole for his "Family Heritage" culinary project.  After doing my research and culling the best of the best recipes, we made a batch of the most incredible mole I've ever tasted. 

With more than 30 ingredients, it's not a quick and easy recipe, but the results are 100% worth it and can make more than one full meal.  The depth of this sauce is incredible.  The flavors are so exquisitely blended that your taste buds will be incredibly blissed out. 

The best part of this recipe is that it not only makes one meal (a boatload of sauce with chicken that you load into warm tortillas with rice), but you end up with enough sauce to make enchiladas and then maybe even a little bit more.  My kids have been putting it over tamales and their breakfast eggs in the morning. 

This literal AwesomeSauce has become a family favorite and a sauce that we will always be keeping in stock and in house.

Authentic Mole Sauce

Yield: 8 servings

Author: Jenn Erickson

Prep time: 30 MCook time: 1 H & 30 MTotal time: 1 H & 60 M

The flavor of all of the aromatic ingredients come together like a symphony and this recipe makes sauce for days! Day I serves 8 with the sauce, chicken, tortillas and rice. Then, there's enough sauce left over for enchiladas, serving over tamales, or anything else you like.

Ingredients:

For the Chicken & Broth

• 12 skinless chicken thighs
• 10 cups of water
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 5 Garlic cloves
• Kosher Salt to taste
• 6 sprigs fresh cilantro (stems & leaves)

For the Sauce

• 2 Medium Roma Tomatoes
• 3 large garlic cloves (not peeled)
• 1 Tablet of Mexican drinking Chocolate, rough chopped
• 6 Dried Chile Negro Entero peppers, stemmed, seeded, cut and flattened (seeds reserved)
• 4 Dried Ancho peppers, stemmed, seeded, cut and flattened (seeds reserved)
• 6 Dried Pasilla peppers, stemmed, seeded, cut and flattened (seeds reserved)
• 1 Tablespoon of reserved pepper seeds; discard the rest
• 6 Whole cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 Mexican cinnamon stick
• 1/2 Teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1/2 Teaspoon whole coriander seeds
• 1/4 Teaspoon whole anise seeds
• 3/4 Cup sesame seeds
• 1/3 Cup oil, lard or schmalz
• 1/2 Cup raisins
• 1/3 Cup sliced almonds
• 1/3 Cup roasted peanuts
• 1 Corn tortilla
• 3 Small slices of french bread (or 8 slices of baguette), torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1/3 cup Pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
• 1/2 medium yellow or white onion
• 1/2 Large ripe dark-skinned plantain peeled, thickly sliced
• Kosher salt to taste
• Fresh lime juice

Accoutrements for the Meal

• Steamed white rice (long grain)
• Chopped cilantro
• Sour cream
• Warm Tortillas

Instructions:

Prepare the Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic

1. Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise and place, skin side up on a foil lined baking pan. 
2. Drizzle with a little oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. 
3. Set under broiler on high until skin begins to blacken and blister. Set aside. 
4. Then turn the oven to 375. 
5. Place the garlic cloves (still in skins) on a piece of foil. Drizzle with a little olive oil, then wrap in the foil. 
6. Bake for 25 minutes in the center of the oven at 375.   You should begin prepping the chicken (next section of recipe) during this time.
7. Remove from oven and set aside in the foil till later in the recipe.

Prepare the Chicken and Broth (while the garlic is roasting)

1. Combine all ingredients in large pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until chicken is just cooked through, skimming foam, about 20 minutes. 
2. Transfer chicken to bowl; cover and chill until ready to use. Strain 2 cups of the broth into a separate container and set aside for later in the recipe.  
3. Leave the rest of the broth and aromatics in the pot for the foundation of the sauce.
4. Bring the remaining broth and aromatics up to a low simmer. Stir in the cinnamon stick, whole cloves, and chocolate pieces.  Proceed to toasting the dried peppers while the broth continues to simmer.

Prepare the Sauce

1. Heat a large, dry skillet over high heat. Begin toasting the peppers in batches. Toast each side, pressing with a flat spatula to maximize contact, until the peppers begin to smell toasty. Place the toasted peppers into the pot of simmering stock.
2. When peppers are all toasted and are soaking in the broth, set heat in the empty skillet to medium high and toast the reserved pepper seeds, coriander seeds and anise seeds till fragrant. Transfer to the broth.
3. Toast the sesame seeds till they begin to pop and brown up a tiny bit. Set aside 2 Tablespoons of the toasted sesame seeds. The rest go into the broth pot.
4. Add 2 Tablespoons oil or fat to the skillet over medium high heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, fry the raisins until they begin to plump. Then, add to the broth pot.
5. Next, toast the almonds till they become fragrant and just begin to get some brown spots. Transfer to the broth pot.
6. Add another Tablespoon of fat to the skillet. When shimmering, Add the pepitas and peanuts to the skillet. When the pepitas start to jump or pop in the pan, transfer to the broth pot.
7. Add another Tablespoon of fat to the empty skillet. Add the onions and whole garlic cloves (peeled -- NOT the roasted ones). Cook over medium heat until the onions become translucent and begin to brown. Transfer to the broth pot.
8. In the now-empty skillet, warm up the tortilla till lightly toasted on each side. Tear up and add to the broth pot.
9. Add a Tablespoon of fat to the skillet and toast the bread until it begins to brown on the edges (do not burn). Add to the broth pot.
10. Add final Tablespoon of fat to the skillet and saute the plantain slices until they just begin to brown on each side. Transfer to the broth pot.
11. Add the roasted tomatoes and roasted garlic (peeled) to the broth pot.

Puree the sauce

1. Use an immersion blender to roughly blend all of the ingredients while still in the pot.
2. Stir in the reserved broth from the beginning of the recipe
3. Put half of the sauce into a blender. Blend till smooth and lighter in color. Put in a bowl while you puree the second half of the sauce.
4. Transfer all of the pureed sauce back into the pot. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring periodically and scraping bottom to prevent the sauce from sticking and burning.
5. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and fresh lime juice.
6. Add the cooked chicken to hot mole; simmer until chicken is heated through, about 10 minutes. 

To Serve

1. Place a piece of chicken on a warm plate of rice. 
2. Spoon on plenty of the mole sauce; sprinkle with sesame seeds. 
3. Serve with warm tortillas, sour cream and chopped cilantro.

My Favorite 7.5-Quart Enameled Dutch Oven:

AmazonBasics Enameled Cast Iron Covered Dutch Oven, 4.3-Quart, Green

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Mole Chicken (or Cheese) Enchiladas

Yield: 16 enchiladas

Author: Jenn Erickson

Prep time: 15 MCook time: 25 MTotal time: 40 M

Here's a quick and easy way to make a second meal out of your leftover Mole Sauce.

Ingredients:

Ingredients

• 3 cups Mole Sauce
• 1 cup chicken broth/stock (or water)
• 16 corn tortillas
• 1/2 cup vegetable, corn or canola oil
• Cheese (I like a Mexican blend), at least 4 cups (more if you're making enchiladas with only cheese)
• Chicken (leftovers, rotisserie, etc.), about 3 cups
• Optional:  Sliced scallions, sour cream and avocado slices for garnish

Instructions:

1. Thin out the cold mole sauce with 1 cup chicken broth/stock (or water). Pour about 1 cup sauce into the bottom of a large (13x9) casserole dish and spread out.
2. In a small nonstick saute pan, heat the oil to a shimmer. One by one, fry the tortillas on both sides till they just begin to brown up a bit. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate while you fry the rest of the tortillas.
3. Set up a station to wrap your enchiladas -- tortillas, chicken, cheese. One at a time, place some cheese (and chicken if you're using chicken) in the center of the tortilla. Roll up. Place, seam side down in the casserole dish.
4. Continue with remaining enchiladas.  I typically get 12 down the middle of the pan and then two on each side of the row.
5. Pour the remaining sauce on top of the enchiladas.  Spread out.  Top the enchiladas and sauce with more cheese.
6. Cover pan with foil and bake at 375 F for 15 minutes.  Remove foil, then bake until cheese and sauce are bubbly.
7. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.  Serve with sliced scallions, sour cream and avocado slices.  

Recommended Products:

2-piece Ceramic Baking Dishes

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