From the article “Red and Green for the Holidays” by Nancy Gerlach comes this classic holiday recipe from Mexico.
Mole Poblano de la Noche Buena
Use this sauce to accompany a variety of poultry dishes. Serve it in the traditional way, over a turkey breast, garnished with sesame seeds, or substitute sliced turkey, left over from your holiday feast. It also makes an excellent sauce for shredded turkey or chicken enchiladas.
Course: Sauce / Marinade / Rub
Cuisine: Mexican
Heat Scale: Mild
Servings: 3 cups
Ingredients:
4 dried red New Mexico chiles
4 dried pasilla or mulato chiles
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup almonds
1 corn tortilla, torn into pieces
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 tsp each ground cloves, cinnamon and coriander
2 tbsp vegetable oil, lard is traditionally used
3 cups chicken broth
1 ounce bitter chocolate, or more to taste
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
Place the chiles on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until they are fragrant, about 15 minutes, being careful not to let them burn. Remove, cool and remove the stems and seeds.
Combine the chiles, onion, garlic, tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of the sesame seeds, almonds, tortilla, raisins, cloves, cinnamon and coriander in a blender or food processor. Puree the mixture, small amounts at a time, until smooth.
Heat the oil in a skillet over a medium heat, and saute the chile sauce for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chicken broth, chocolate and salt and cook over a low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occassionally, until the sauce has thickened.
To serve, pour the sauce over the turkey or enchiladas, and garnish with the sesame seeds.
