Mole Poblano
The Symphony of Twenty Ingredients
Mole Poblano is not just a dish: it's the history of Mexico on a plate. Legend has it that it was born in the Convent of Santa Rosa in Puebla, when the nuns had to improvise a banquet for the viceroy. They mixed chiles, spices, chocolate, and prayers, and the result was this gastronomic wonder. Making mole is an act of love and patience, a culinary meditation connecting you with generations of cooks who came before.
recipe.ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs with skin
- 5 mulato chiles, seededThe dark heart of mole
- 4 ancho chiles, seeded
- 3 pasilla chiles, seeded
- 2 dried chipotle chiles
- 3.5 oz Mexican chocolateAbuelita or Ibarra, no substitutes
- ½ cup almonds
- ¼ cup raisins
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- 3 corn tortillas, cut in pieces
- 1 bolillo or French bread, sliced
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 6 garlic cloves
- 3 ripe tomatoes
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp cumin
- 1 tbsp sugar
- Lard or vegetable oil
- About 4 cups chicken broth
- Salt to taste
- Sesame seeds for serving
recipe.nutrition
Per serving
520
recipe.calories
32g
recipe.protein
28g
recipe.carbs
34g
recipe.fat
recipe.history
Mole Poblano is considered Mexico's national dish. Its origin is attributed to the nuns of the Santa Rosa Convent in Puebla in the 17th century, though indigenous communities had been making moles long before. The word 'mole' comes from the Nahuatl 'molli,' meaning sauce or mixture. Today, there are hundreds of mole varieties across Mexico.
recipe.preparation
- 1
Start by cooking the chicken in salted water with onion and garlic. Save the broth—you'll need it. Set the cooked chicken aside.
- 2
Heat a comal or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Toast the chiles lightly on both sides, just until fragrant (don't burn them or they'll be bitter). Soak in hot water for 30 minutes.
- 3
On the same comal, toast the almonds, pumpkin seeds, raisins (briefly), tortillas, and bread until golden. Also toast the onion, tomatoes, and garlic until charred in spots. Set everything aside separately.
- 4
Blend the drained chiles with some of the soaking water until you get a smooth paste. Strain it to remove the skins. This step is essential—we want a velvety texture.
- 5
Blend the roasted tomatoes, onion, and garlic with the spices (cinnamon, cloves, pepper, cumin). Separately blend the almonds, pumpkin seeds, raisins, tortillas, and bread with some broth to form a paste.
- 6
In a large, deep pot, heat the lard over medium-high heat. Fry the chile paste, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes. It should darken and thicken.
- 7
Add the tomato and spice mixture. Cook 5 more minutes. Add the nut and bread paste. Cook another 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
- 8
Lower the heat and add broth little by little, until you achieve a consistency that coats the back of a spoon. Add the chocolate in pieces and sugar. Stir until the chocolate melts and incorporates.
- 9
Let the mole simmer gently for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The mole is ready when the fat starts to rise to the surface. Adjust salt.
- 10
Add the chicken pieces to the mole and heat everything together. Serve bathed in abundant sauce and topped with toasted sesame seeds.
recipe.modeChef
The mole of the masters
An extraordinary mole requires technique, time, and an almost reverential respect for the ingredients. These are the secrets of the great traditional cooks.
- Toast each ingredient separately and to the exact point. Almonds to light gold, chiles at the first aroma, tomatoes until they almost burst.
- Add a piece of champurrado tablet (chocolate atole) instead of regular chocolate for more complexity.
- Let the mole rest a full day before serving. The flavors fuse and deepen.
- Serve with handmade blue tortillas and red rice for a presentation worthy of royalty.
recipe.tips
- •If the mole is bitter, add more chocolate or a little more sugar. If too sweet, a few drops of vinegar will balance it.
- •Mole freezes perfectly. Make a large batch and you'll have instant luxury for any occasion.
- •For a lighter mole, use oil instead of lard and reduce the chocolate by half.
- •If you can't find all the chiles, mulato is the most important. Failing that, use ancho as a base.
recipe.specialTrick
The best-kept secret of the great cooks of Oaxaca: add a pinch of burned tortilla ash to the mole. It sounds crazy, but it adds a smoky depth impossible to achieve otherwise. Burn a tortilla until black, grind it to fine powder, and add just ¼ teaspoon. The result is mysterious and addictive.
recipe.faq
Refrigerated, mole lasts up to a week. Frozen, it keeps for 3-6 months. The flavor actually improves after a day or two.
While chocolate is essential to mole poblano specifically, there are many other mole varieties (verde, amarillo, negro) that don't use chocolate.
Bitterness usually comes from burnt chiles or seeds. Toast chiles just until fragrant, and strain the paste well. Add more chocolate or sugar to balance.
Mole is delicious with turkey (traditional for celebrations), pork, or even enchiladas. It's also great as a sauce for tamales.
