Conference turris::cooks

The traditional mole dish, eaten by Mexicans at Christmas, is Mole De Guajolote
although chicken could be used.  I will give you two recipes.  The real
one and a short cut which almost tastes like the real thing but is a lot
easier.

The real thing:

1. Wash and dry 15 CHILE MULATOS, 15 CHILE ANCHOS & 15 CHILES PASTILLAS.
Toast chiles lightly in an ungreased skillet, remove seeds and soak them
in hot water until tender.

2. Toast 2 tablespoons of chile seeds with 1/3 cup of ALMONDS,1/3 cup of
PEANUTS and 1/3 cup of PUMPKIN SEEDS.

3.Put all of the above ingredients along with 1 fried crisp TORTILLA, 1
FRENCH ROLL cut in half and fried crisp, 2 tablespoons of SESAME SEEDS,
a two inch stick of CINNAMON, 3 whole CLOVES, 6 whole BLACK PEPPERCORNS,
2 peeled cloves of GARLIC, 1 ten ounce can of TOMATILLOS, 3 peeled TOMATOES
and 2 ounces of MEXICAN CHOCOLATE through a blender of food grinder.

4.Add 1 quart of CHICKEN BROTH to the ground mixture, mix well and strain.

5. Heat 1/2 cup of LARD, add strained sauce, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and salt
to taste.  Cook, stirring often, until sauce is thick.  Add 1 more quart
of CHICKEN BROTH, cooked pieces of TURKEY and heat thoroughly.  Before serving,
sprinkle turkey with toasted SESAME SEEDS.  Serves 10 to 12.

Now the short cut......

1. Cut 12 pound TURKEY in pieces and simmer until just tender.  Add SALT
to taste.

2. Cook 2 chopped ONIONS and 3 minced large cloves of GARLIC in 4 tablespoons
of LARD or TURKEY FAT until browned.

3.  Add browned mixture to 4 squares BITTER CHOCOLATE, 1 cup of PEANUT BUTTER,
1 cup of TURKEY STOCK, four tablespoons of toasted SESAME SEEDS, 2 teaspoons
of GROUND CUMIN, 3/4 cup CHILE POWDER, 4 DRIED CORN TORTILLAS (or 1/2 cup
of CORN MEAL), 2-1/2 teaspoons of SUGAR, 3/4 teaspoon of ANISE.  Put mixture
through blender, add five cups of TURKEY stock and SALT to taste.

4. Pour mixture over TURKEY pieces and heat thoroughly.

Serves 12

"Mexican Chocolate" is a chocolate/cocoa/spice mixture compressed into a
disk shape.  It is sold in many grocery stores on the west coast in
the specialty food sections .... however, midwest and east, you will
probably have better luck in a gourmet food shop...I'd let my fingers
do the shopping for me, as it may be difficult to find.

It is a distinctive product, and the versions I have seen are wrapped
in a yellow and red paper wrapping.  This stuff makes the best hot
chocolate in the world (recipes are in mexican food cook books - the
authentic ones).  It is a REQUIREMENT for good mole sauce...at least
that is what my mother says - I personally like my chocolate sweet
or not at all. 

    The Common Market, on Commonwealth Ave. in Alston, is a small, corner,
    Hispanic grocery store.  You may find the Mexican chocolate there.
    

    
    By the way, there is a chocolate notes file for all of you chocoholics
    out there.  Add entry SKINUT::CHOCOLATE.

    If you are in the Acton area, you can buy Mole already made at the
    Savory Lane Deli new the Acton Twin Cinemas on Route 2A.  Definitely
    worth the price.
    
    

    This recipe is from _Betty Crocker's Mexican Cookbook_ by Jose Leopoldo
    Romero, who supposedly owns a restaurant called Casa Romero on
    Gloucester Street in Boston -- does anybody know of it? 

    ______________________________    
    
                    Mole Poblano
   
    1/2 c shortening or oil
    1/4 c chili powder
      2 c chicken broth *
     12 flour tortillas, cut into small pieces
    1/2 c tomato sauce
      1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 c)
      2 cloves garlic, finely chopped.
      1 or 2 chipotle peppers, finely chopped **
      2 T raisins
      2 T chopped almonds or walnuts
      2 T sesame seed
      2 T pumpkin seeds
      2 T peanut butter
      1 T sugar
      1 T ground oregano
      1 T cocoa
      1 tsp anise seed
    1/2 tsp each ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, ground
       allspice, ground ginger, and ground cumin
      2 C chicken broth
      8 chicken breasts, boned, or 2 turkey thighs, ditto. ***
    
    Heat shortening in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until hot. Cook
    and stir chili powder in lard until brown. (Add 1/2 tsp water to
    prevent scorching if necessary.) Cool. Stir in 2 cups chicken broth.
    Add remaining ingredients except 2 cups broth and the chicken. Heat
    to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 1 hour. Cool.
    
    Pour a small amount of sauce at a time into blender container. Cover
    and blend on high speed until smooth. Heat 2 cups of the sauce and
    remaining 2 cups broth to boiling in 12-inch skillet; recude heat.
    Arrange chicken or turkey skin sides up in single layer in skillet.
    Cover and simmer until done, about 1 hour. Add remaining sauce; heat
    until hot. 8 servings. 
    
______________________________
   *  He means very rich Mexican chicken broth. Canned chicken broth
      is okay for this, but don't use instant bouillon. 

    ** Chipotle peppers are smoked jalepeno peppers. You can sometimes
       find them in Mexican specialty departments, but I used ordinary,
       fresh jalapenos from the produce department the time I made this.
    
    *** I used a whole chicken cut into pieces when I made this.

    Well, since I couldnt find where the other moles were, heres the
    only turkey mole recipe in the book...called Turkey with Salsa
    Mole Poblano from Mexico
    
    3 turkey thights, defrosted
    Peanut oil for browning
    
    Mole Sauce:  3 dried ancho chilies, 3 dries pasilla chilies,
                 2 tbs peanut oil
                 1 med yellow onion peeled and chopped
                 2 cloves garlic, minced
                 1 sweet and 1 green bell pepper, chopped
                 1 cup whole canned tomatoes
                 3/4 teasp ground cinnamon
                 1/2 teasp ground cloves
                 1/4 tsp each ground coriander, anise, cumin
                 1 dry wheat tortilla, torn into pieces
                 1/4 cup sesame seeds
                 1/4 cup raisins
                 2 cups chicken or turkey broth
                 2 squarea (1 ounce ea) semisweet baking chocolate
    
    Brown the turkey thighs in a bit of oil in a very heavy skilled.
    
    Place them in a kettle, barely cover with water, bring to a boil,
    cover, turn down the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.  Turn off heat,
    cover the pot (hmmmm, thats twice you cover the pot....guess you
    need two covers for this one)....and leave the turkey in the broth
    for another 45 minutes..
    
    For the sauce, stem and seed the chilies and tear them into pieces.
    Be careful with this as the chili oil that you will get on your
    hands
    will burn your eyes if you should run them..Discard the seeds unless
    you wish for a much hotter dish.  Place the pieces in a small bowl,
    cover with boiling water, and allow to sit for 30 minutes.  Discard
    all the water except 1/4 cup.
    
    Heat oil in a skillet and saute the onion and garlic until limp.
     In a blender combine the chilies and reserved liquid, the two bell
    peppers, onion and garlic, tomatoes and spices.  Pure until smooth.
    Then add the tortilla pieces, sesame seeds, and raising.  Puree
    again until all is quite smooth
    
    Add the chicken or turkey broth.  Simmer this mixture in a saucepan
    for10 minutes.  Add the chocolate and stir until the chocolate melts.
    Remove the turkey from the kettle, slice and place on a platter.
     Mole sauce is served over the turkey with additional sauce served
    on the side.
    
    Serve with a heavy Pinoit Noir.....serves 8-10
    
    Well, there you have it...right out of the book....
    
    Have fun
    
    Rick

    Well, how do I start?
    
    I am Mexican, and have lived 99% of my life in Mexico. I like Mole
    a lot (in all its varieties). The Mole Poblano is only one of them.
    It does need chocolate, but it also needs some other 40 different
    spices including many kinds of Chiles. It is very hard to make, and is
    different from person to person. Most people in Mexico buy the Mole in
    the "Mercados" (markets), where they offer it already prepared. You
    just taste them and pick the one you like. 
    
    There is another possibility, to buy it canned (actually is a glass
    container), the best brand is "Do�a Mar�a", and you can find it
    in the U.S. without any problem in any Mexican/Hispanic store.
    That's the one I use, and I strongly recommend it. All you have to
    do is add some chicken broth or even water and is ready to serve.
                     
    BTW, Mole is so heavy that one must drink either, milk, beer or
    Pulque with it. Having a Coke, wine or plain water will make your stomach
    a little sick.
                                           
    Also, some comments about some previous notes:
    
    Chiles Chipocles/Chipotles are not smoked jalape�os, they are a
    different kind. And they do not look nor taste the same.
                     
                                                                     
    Gerardo Fern�ndez

Dianne Kennedy has the recipe in her Mexican Cookbook.  In New England, it's 
almost impossible to find all the ingredients needed to make the recipe.  It 
includes a few different kinds of chiles, and lots of other ingredients.  Then
you need to spend a day toasting, peeling, grinding, etc.  So, finding the 
ingredients AND the energy to make it at the same time is absolutely impossible.

Fortunately, there is a place in Cambridge that makes a pretty mole (I know,
that's not convenient to your location either).  In between times, I found a 
canned version made by La Victoria (I think) that is passable, especially if you
add a rich homemade stock to it.  The canned version can be made in minutes, 
too.

    	Also, if you can't find all the ingredients, well...you can grow
    your own chiles like I do...or you can buy mole paste at latin markets.
    I bought some at Hermano's market in Concord, N.H..Other places
    probably carry the stuff. It's not like making it from scratch, but
    it's pretty good and saves a lot of work.

Here in Arizona, in selected markets, they sell a jarred mole paste.  It comes
from Mexico and is pretty good.  Mixed with some water or chicken broth, it
comes close to the homemade variety.   I use it as barbeque sauce on grilled
chicken, sprinkling on a few toasted sesame seeds.

Basically it is sesame seed paste (similar to tahini, which is available in
Israel), augmented with some flour (the jarred variety uses toasted bread-
crumbs, so it says on the label), sweet chocolate, and ground pasilla, ancho,
and poblano chilis.   The jarred stuff has some preservatives which you 
wouldn't put into your own mole.  Sounds weird, but the taste is both
wonderful and incomparable.

I will be here in AZ a couple of more days, and can pick up ingredients you
need, provided you can import them without difficulty.   If you have someone
going to New York and can stop by 2 Penn Plaza, I can hand-off the stuff for
return to you in Israel.

Bill

    Well, thanks a lot to all of you!

    I didn't know my request for Mole poblano would put so many people on the
    move. I'll take your advice (PESENTI) and wait for the opportunity to go
    back to Mexico and have the genuine stuff there. 

    Bill, I cannot bother you in order to "import" some mole paste to Israel, 
    I don't know enybody visiting New york in the near future, and more than
    that, as someone that was requested to carry to Israel "alfajores" from
    Argentina and Menen deodorant from the States (which is available here) 
    I refuse to ask from anybody the same kind of favors!!!

    But most of all, it warms your heart to find out that across the world
    are people kind enough to share with you their personal experiences, give
    you advice in things that might be considered trivial by others and even 
    bother to carry for you strange things. This gives you the feeling of 
    family and belonging. Thank you.

    Regards,

    Juan-Carlos Kiel 

    What's the main ingredients of a Mole Pablano?  I have 2 recipes for
    Pollo Mole (chicken mole) and could post either/both if anyone wanted
    them.
    
    ed

>    What's the main ingredients of a Mole Pablano?  I have 2 recipes for
>    Pollo Mole (chicken mole) and could post either/both if anyone wanted
>    them.
    
actually, chocolate and chiles...I know, it sounds strange, but tastes
wonderful.  I have an "Americanized" version of the sauce recipe somewhere...
and as I am searching for another recipe, I'll hunt it up tonight and post
it here...maybe you can improvise around it a little and make it in Israel.
Check back tomorrow.

    From Jane Butel's Tex-Mex Cookbook
    
    Pollo Mole
    Chicken in Spicy Tomato and Chocolate Sauce
    
    Mexico's most unusual dish, mole, is often prepared with chicken,
    although turkey can be used. Chicken or Turkey meat can be used as a
    filling for tamales, which are then served with the mole sauce.
    
    1 roasting chicken, 4 lbs, cut up
    celery tops
    1 carrot quartered
    1/2 onion, quartered
    2 1/2 tsp salt
    1 slice of dry bread
    2 TBSP seedless raisins
    1/2 oz (1/2 square) unsweetened chocolate
    2 TBSP blanched almonds
    2 TBSP minced onions
    1 medium sized green pepper, finely chopped
    1 lg fresh tomato, quartered
    1 garlic clove minced
    3 TBSP flour
    1 TBSP ground hot red chile
    1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
    1/4 tsp ground cloves
    2 1/2 chicken stock
    
    Cover chicken with cold water.  Add celery tops, carrot, onion, and 2
    tsp salt, Cook until tender, Set aside and cool.
    
    Grind bread and next 7 ingredients using a food processor or blender.
    
    Stir in flour and spices, then add chicken stock and mix until well
    blended.
    
    Cook sauce until slightly thickened.  Add chicken pieces and simmer
    gently for 30 minutes, basting frequently.
    
    ******** MY notes: Yes, there's a discrepancy in the salt measurements,
    2 tsp is probably good enough.
    
    My unsweetened chocolate was in premelted packets so I used a whole
    ounce.  The chocolate adds only a subtle flavoring here.  (ok, so I
    was less subtle.)
    
    I didn't have "hot chili powder" so I used 1 TBSP chili powder and
    1 tsp ground red pepper.
    
    The recipe indicates chicken with bone in, but I removed the bones,
    fat, etc.
    
    This is listed in the book as a Poultry Main Dish.
    
    #2:
    
    Chicken Mole
    from Mexican Recipes  (those little spiral bound 3x5 recipe books)
    
    Butter or Margarine
    2-2 1/2 lb broiler fryer, cut in pieces
    salt
    1 1/2 C canned chicken broth
    1 green pepper, seeded
    3/4 tsp anise seed
    1 TBSP sesame seed
    2 cloves garlic, peeled
    dash of powdered cloves
    1/8 tsp powdered cinnnamon
    dash papper
    1/4 tsp whole coriander
    1 sq unsweeted chocolate, grated
    1/3 C ground almonds
    1 T chili powder
    3 lg tomatoes, peeled
    4 C hot cooked rice
    2 whole pimentos, quartered
    
    In 1/4 cup hot butter, in lg skillet, brown chickn well.  Add more
    butter as arteries demand [:-) just wanted to see who was reading
    this,] errr, as needed.  Remove browned chicken to a 3 qt earthenware
    or glass cassarole; sprinkle with salt.  In a blender, combine 1 tsp
    salt, 1/2 cup chicken broth, green pepper, anise seeds, sesame seeds,
    garlic, cloves, tomatoes; blend well.  In skillet in which chicken was
    browned, combine sauce with 1 cup chicken broth; simmer, stirring, 10
    min and pour over chicken.  bake, covered, about 1 1/2 hrs at 375
    deg.F.  Serve along with rice tossed with pimentos.
    
    Note:  I haven't made this one yet, just thought I'd enter it as a
    contrast to the above recipe.

    Here's yet another mole recipe.
    
    This makes an acceptable mole -- especially considering that the
    ingredients are commonly available just about anywhere on the Planet.
    
    This is from Sunset's (magazine) Mexican Cookbook, 1977, pp37-8.    
    
    Mole Sauce.  In a blender, whirl until smooth 2 tablespoons chili 
    powder (use the very best you can find -- make your own from dried
    poblano chilis if you can get them), 20 whole blanched almonds, 1/4
    cup diced green-tipped banana, 1 teaspoon EACH ground cinnamon and
    salt, 2 corn tortillas (torn in pieces), 2 tablespoons sesame seed,
    1 tablespoon pine nuts, and enough chicken broth to blend smoothly.
    
    Pour sauce into pan; add more broth, 6 tablespoons butter or 
    margarine, and 1 ounce semisweet chocolate.  Heat to simmering
    over medium heat.  If made ahead, cover and refrigerate as long
    as a week.
    
    If you cannot get all the necessary ingredients in your part of the
    globe, try:
    
    Stale bread instead of tortillas
    
    Walnuts instead of pinenuts
    
    Tahini instead of sesame seeds
    
    ...however nothing substitutes for the chili powder or ground dried
    chilies -- augment with one or two ground pasillas, pequins, japonicas,
    or Thai chilis if you have to use canned (e.g., Durkee) chili powder
    
    As noted in the previous reply, mole is usually used with chicken or 
    turkey.  Makes a great BBQ sauce put on the grilled poultry just before
    serving and garnished with a few toasted sesame seeds.
    
    Bill