Mole Poblano
This is the kind of Mexican dinner you’ll make on repeat — chicken thighs and mulato chiles, 90 minutes, big payoff.
620 calories
38g protein
42g carbs
34g fat
7g fiber
Ingredients
- 2.5 lb Chicken thighs
- 4 Mulato chiles
- 4 Ancho chiles
- 2 Pasilla chiles
- 2 Tomatoes
- 1 White onion
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1 Plantain
- 2 oz Dark chocolate
- 1/3 cup Peanuts
- 1/4 cup Almonds
- 2 tbsp Sesame seeds
- 4 cups Chicken broth
- 3 tbsp Lard or oil
Steps
- Stem and seed the dried chiles, then toast them in a dry skillet 30 seconds per side until fragrant and pliable. Scorched chile turns the whole mole bitter, so keep them moving.
- Soak the toasted chiles in hot water 20 minutes until soft, then blend with the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and a cup of the soaking liquid until completely smooth.
- Fry the plantain slices, peanuts, and almonds in the lard until golden, then blend them with the chocolate and 2 cups of broth into a second smooth puree.
- Fry the chile puree in the lard over medium heat 10 minutes, stirring — it will darken and thicken. This frying step cooks out the raw chile edge.
- Stir in the nut puree and the remaining broth. Simmer 25 minutes, stirring often, until the mole coats a spoon thickly. Season with salt and a pinch of sugar.
- Poach or roast the chicken separately, then simmer it in the mole 15 minutes. Serve with rice and warm tortillas, sesame seeds scattered over.