The first time I had real mole, we were nearing the end of our cross-country drive to drop Dan off in California to start his new job, a couple months before the official move. We’d stopped for the night in Salt Lake City and had heard great things about Red Iguana, especially all their excellent versions of mole.
I was sold at first bite.
There are many different types of mole, but what is consistent with all (that I’ve tried) is the intensity of flavor. Chiles, seeds, nuts, spices, and even chocolate come together to create a rich sauce with a flavor that is difficult to put into words.
I’d vowed to try making it at home someday. And truth be told, I’ve been sitting on a recipe for a long while now. It belongs to my friend, Jason, and is from his book Healthy Sous Vide.
If you don’t know Jason yet, he can easily be described as a sous vide and a self-publishing master. He’s the author of numerous successful cookbooks that he has published himself.
If you’ve ever attended a conference blind, meaning you know no one there, then you will relate to how I met Jason. We were both part of a group of bloggers selected to cover the Produce Marketing Association Expo in Anaheim a few years back. It is a huge expo and PMA is rarely open to media. So it was a huge deal that we got to walk the aisles, explore new foods, and share about it with our followers.
At these sorts of things, one tends to fall into a group, become fast friends and hang out with that group for the entire event. Myself, Jason and a few others like Tinna, Laura, and Megan became one of those groups.
Since then we’ve all met up at other various food-centric and blogging events. And now that Jason and his wife moved to Brooklyn, we can catch up when I make it to NYC every now and then.
So, as I said he is a sous vide expert. I have yet to try sous vide at home, but I think it is such an interesting cooking technique and I know so many that love it. Which is why I wanted to tell you about Jason’s books. You can find them all on his website, Amazing Food Made Easy.
Now, all that being said, you don’t have to use sous vide cooking to enjoy his recipes. This mole is the perfect example.
The sauce can be poured over a chicken breast prepared in any way. I took his advice from the headnote and added shredded chicken for our meal, which is how I like to eat this kind of thing. I’m not a big hunk of meat kind of person.
Jason warns that the mole sauce takes some effort, but to be honest it was not difficult or time consuming at all. There are several steps, but each one is quick, 5 to 15 minutes. I ended up letting mine simmer for about 30 minutes.
The sauce is everything I hoped it would be – complex, not too sweet, spicy in a deep lingering way. I’d forgotten how much I love mole and I’m so glad to have a recipe I can make at home again and again.
Be sure to check out Jason’s books. If 2019 is the year you want to explore sous vide, grab a copy for yourself, and they make great gifts!
Chicken Mole in the Puebla Style
Copyright 2017 Jason Logsdon. Reprinted with permission.
Serves 4
From the book: When it is done right, Puebla-style mole is one of my favorite sauces. This recipe is for a more traditional preparation than the milder and cloyingly sweet versions found at chain restaurants. It takes advantage of the different chile flavors and is very bold and full flavored. The sauce does take a good amount of effort, but I’ll often double or triple the recipe and store the remainder in plastic bags in the freezer so I can easily use it later. The sauce also works great with shredded pork or chicken thighs. I usually serve this with rice, beans, or corn, though I’ll also sometimes go non-traditional and serve it with cauliflower rice or a farro and spelt grain mixture with some cilantro mixed in. For a completely different look, you can use this mole on a Mexican pizza instead of tomato sauce.
INGREDIENTS
For the Chicken
1 pound chicken breasts (450 grams)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
For the Mole
10 assorted medium-heat dried chile peppers such as ancho, mulato, chipotle, guajillo, and pasilla
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 onion, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 medium tomato, quartered
1 medium tomatillo, quartered
3 tablespoons slivered almonds
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon aniseed or fennel seed
2 whole cloves
2 tablespoons raisins
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 to 2 ounces dark or unsweetened chocolate (28 to 56 grams)
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
To Assemble
2 avocados, sliced
Sesame seeds
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
PREPARATION
For the Chicken
Preheat the water bath to 141°F (60.5°C). Mix the spices together in a bowl. Salt and pepper the chicken then sprinkle with the spice mixture and seal in a sous vide bag. Place the sous vide bags in the water bath and cook for 2 to 4 hours, until pasteurized.
For the Mole
Preheat the broiler on an oven. Remove the stems and seeds from the chile peppers. Discard the stems and half the seeds, reserving the others for later.
Heat some olive oil in a pan over medium high heat and sauté the deseeded chile peppers for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove and place in a blender or food processor with half the chicken stock.
Place some aluminum foil on a sheet pan with raised sides. Add the onion, garlic, tomato, and tomatillo then roast in the oven until they begin to blacken and soften, 15 to 30 minutes. Add them and their juices to the blender containing the chile peppers.
Toast the almonds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, coriander, peppercorns, aniseed, cloves, and the reserved chile pepper seeds in a pan over medium heat until fragrant and just starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Add to the blender.
Add the raisins and cinnamon to the blender.
Once the mixture in the blender has cooled slightly, process it until it becomes a smooth paste, adding water if it is too thick.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan with high sides over medium heat. Add the puree from the food processor and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the remaining chicken stock as well as the chocolate, honey and vinegar and stir to combine. Simmer the sauce for at least 10 minutes, and up to 50 minutes, while stirring occasionally until it becomes thick but still pourable. Salt and pepper to taste and then remove from the heat.
To Assemble
Take the chicken out of the water bath and remove it from the bag. Pat it dry with a paper towel or dishcloth. Quickly sear the chicken for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until just browned, then remove from the heat and place onto a plate. Spoon the mole sauce over the chicken then top with the avocado slices. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and cilantro then serve.
