Authentic Mole Poblano

Mole Poblano
Sarah Bossert/Getty Images
Prep: 45 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 75 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Authentic mole poblano is a sophisticated sauce with complex flavors, and Chef Efrain Cuevas's recipe is one of the best you'll try. Mole poblano is a bit time-consuming, but this recipe is worth it. The sauce is delicious with chicken, but it's out of this world with duck and quail. Whisk in a bit of red wine vinegar, and it's an incredible sauce for wild game.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil

  • 12 dried ancho chiles

  • 12 dried pasilla chiles

  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped garlic

  • 1 cup raisins

  • 1/2 cup shelled pistachios

  • 1/2 cup pepitas

  • 1/4 cup sesame seeds

  • 1 cup water

  • 1 medium tortilla

  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin

  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 cup masa

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar

  • 1 tablet (about 90 grams) Mexican chocolate

  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

  • 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 tablespoons salt

Steps to Make It

  1. Heat the vegetable oil in a stock pot until it just starts to smoke.

  2. Toast the chiles in the hot oil no more than a few seconds, careful not to burn them or toast them too dark.

  3. Remove chiles from the oil, then add garlic and raisins. Sauté garlic and raisins (while stirring) for 1 to 2 minutes then remove the pot from the heat and set aside.

  4. Place the chiles in a saucepan with water to cover. Heat to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer.

  5. Lower a small lid or plate with a weight on it to keep the chiles submerged during the cooking process. Simmer the chiles for 20 more minutes, then remove from heat.

  6. Drain, and remove stems and seeds. Place the chiles in batches into the blender with enough fresh water to cover, plus 2 inches more.

  7. Add the raisins and garlic to the blender and puree with the chiles on low speed for 30 seconds, then blend on high until smooth. (This may take several minutes with incremental additions of water until the puree is smooth and creamy.)

  8. Pour the chile puree into a mesh strainer to half-filled. Using a flexible spatula, scrape inside of the strainer to move the sauce through. You may need to smack the strainer to get out all the sauce, but careful not to dump seeds and skins into the sauce.

  9. Pre-heat oven to 325 F.

  10. Lay the pistachios, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), and sesame on a baking sheet and toast in the oven 8 to 10 minutes, until the aroma of the seeds has been released. Take care to not burn the seeds or the sauce will be bitter. Allow them to cool.

  11. Finely grind the seed mixture in a coffee/spice grinder in small batches.

  12. In a blender, combine the ground-seed mix with 1 cup water, 1 cup chile puree, tortilla, cumin, clove, cinnamon, and masa. Blend on low, then high speed until smooth.

  13. Slowly add the rest of the chile puree and continue to blend until smooth.

  14. In the stock pot with the oil, reheat the oil then add the chile mixture, brown sugar, Mexican chocolate, and cocoa powder. Bring to a simmer, stirring well with a whisk to combine.

  15. Continue to simmer on low heat for 20 minutes, then taste. (You can simmer longer for a thicker mole.) Add salt to taste.

  16. Use with chicken, duck, or quail and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
983 Calories
42g Fat
138g Carbs
24g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 983
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 42g 54%
Saturated Fat 6g 32%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 3793mg 165%
Total Carbohydrate 138g 50%
Dietary Fiber 16g 58%
Total Sugars 37g
Protein 24g
Vitamin C 5mg 23%
Calcium 311mg 24%
Iron 13mg 70%
Potassium 1221mg 26%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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