Mole Negro Oaxaqueno: Oaxacan Black Mole - onions

Method

• In a 2 gallon stockpot, heat 5 quarts water and onions, celery, and carrots to a boil.
• Add chicken pieces and poach, covered, over low heat for about 35 to 45 minutes, until cooked through and juices run clear when pierced with a fork.
• Remove the meat from the stock.
• Strain and reserve the stock.
• Heat 2 quarts of water in a kettle.
• On a 10-inch dry comal, griddle, or in a cast-iron frying pan, toast the chiles over medium heat until blackened, but not burnt, about 10 minutes.
• Place the chiles in a large bowl, cover with hot water, and soak for 1/2 hour.
• Remove the chiles from the soaking water with tongs, placing small batches in a blender with 1/4 cup of the chile soaking water to blend smooth.
• Put the chile puree through a strainer to remove the skins.
• In the same dry comal, griddle, or frying pan, grill the onion and garlic over medium heat for 10 minutes.
• Set aside.
• Toast the almonds, peanuts, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, and cloves in a dry comal, griddle or cast-iron frying pan for about 5 minutes.
• Remove them from the pan.
• Over the same heat, toast the chile seeds, taking care to blacken but not burn them, about 20 minutes.
• Try to do this outside or in a well-ventilated place because the seeds will give off very strong fumes.
• When the seeds are completely black, light them with a match and let them burn themselves out.
• Remove from the heat and place in a bowl.
• Soak the blackened seeds in 1 cup of cold water for 10 minutes.
• Drain the seeds and grind them in a blender for about 2 minutes.
• Add the blended chile seeds to the blended chile mixture.
• Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in an 8-inch cast-iron frying pan over medium heat until smoking.
• Add the raisins and fry them until they are plump, approximately 1 minute.
• Remove from the pan.
• Fry the bread slice in the same oil until browned, about 5 minutes, over medium heat.
• Remove from pan.
• Fry the plantain in the same oil until it is well browned, approximately 10 minutes, over medium heat.
• Set aside.
• Fry the sesame seeds, stirring constantly over low heat, adding more oil if needed.
• When the sesame seeds start to brown, about 5 minutes, add the pecans and brown for 2 minutes more.
• Remove all from the pan, let cool, and grind finely in a spice grinder.
• It takes a bit of time, but this is the only way to grind the seeds and nuts finely enough.
• Wipe out the frying pan and fry the tomatoes, tomatillos, thyme, and oregano over medium to high heat, allowing the juices to almost evaporate, about 15 minutes.
• Blend well, using 1/2 cup of reserved stock if needed to blend and set aside.
• Place the nuts, bread, plantains, raisins, onion, garlic and spices in the blender in small batches, and blend well, adding about 1 cup of stock to make it smooth.
• In a heavy 4-quart stockpot, heat 2 tablespoons of lard or oil until smoking and fry the chile paste over medium to low heat, stirring constantly so it will not burn, approximately 20 minutes.
• When it is dry, add the tomato puree and fry until the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.
• Add the ground ingredients, including the sesame seed paste, to the pot.
• Stir constantly with a wooden soon until well-incorporated, about 10 minutes.
• Add 1 cup chicken stock to the mole, stir well, and allow to cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Break up the chocolate and add to the pot, stirring until it is melted and incorporated into the mixture.
• Toast the avocado leaf briefly over the flame if you have a gas range or in a dry frying pan and then add it to the pot.
• Slowly add more stock to the mole, as it will keep thickening as it cooks.
• Add enough salt to bring out the flavor.
• Let simmer another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally so it does not stick, adding stock as needed.
• The mole should not be thick; just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• Place the cooked chicken pieces in the leftover stock in a saucepan and heat through.
• To serve, place a piece of chicken in a shallow bowl and ladle 3/4 of a cup of mole sauce over to cover it completely.
• Serve immediately with lots of hot corn tortillas.
• Hint: Be sure to put the blended chiles through a sieve or food mill, or you will have pieces of chile skin in your mole, which needs to be silky smooth.
• You can use oil instead of lard to fry the mole, but the flavor will change dramatically.
• In our pueblo, people traditionally use turkey instead of chicken, and sometimes add pieces of pork and beef to enhance the flavor.
• You can use leftover mole and chicken meat to make Enmoladas or Tamales Oazaquenos made with banana leaves.
• Inspired by Maria Taboada and Paula Martinez