Mole manchamanteles

10 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
=== STOCK ===
2 Chickens -; (3 1/2 to 4 1/2 lbs)
2 Onions
4 Celery stalks; chopped
4 Whole cloves
(or 2 pinches ground cloves)
2 Carrots; chopped
2 Garlic cloves; chopped
2 Bay leaves
2 Fresh thyme sprigs
1 Dried chile de arbol
2 Whole Allspice
24 cups Water
Salt
=== MOLE ===
6 Dried guajillo chiles
1 Dried ancho chile
4 cups Boiling water
1 pounds Fresh or canned tomatoes
Oil
½ cup Raw sesame seeds
1 White onion; roughly chopped
¼ cup Whole raw almonds
¼ cup Raw pecans
¼ cup Raisins
4 Garlic cloves; halved
2 Whole cloves
(or 2 pinches ground cloves)
2 Black peppercorns
1 Whole Allspice
1 Cinnamon stick -; (2\" long)
(or 1 tbspn ground cinnamon)
2 Sprigs Fresh oregano sprigs
(or 1/2 tspn dried oregano)
9 cups Chicken stock; (to 10 cups)
2 Plantains
(or 1 fresh cored peeled cubed pineapple)
Salt
1½ tablespoon Sugar

Directions

STOCK: Cut each chicken into 8 pieces. Simmer chicken pieces, onions, celery, cloves, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, chile de arbol, allspice and water in large stockpot and cook until tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Add salt to taste. Remove chicken from stock and set aside.

Discard vegetables and seasonings and reserve stock. MOLE: Remove stems, seeds and veins from both kinds of chiles. Toast chiles in skillet or on griddle over low heat until slightly fragrant and beginning to blister. Be careful not to burn chiles. Put chiles in bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let soak 20 to 30 minutes (the longer they soak, the less hot they become). Transfer chiles from bowl to blender with slotted spoon and puree, adding some of soaking water if needed to blend well. Pass pureed chiles through sieve or food mill and set aside. Quarter tomatoes and cook in dry skillet over medium heat until dry, about 20 minutes. Blend well in blender and pass through sieve or food mill to remove seeds and skins. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet over low heat. When hot, add sesame seeds and cook, stirring constantly, until seeds brown slightly, about 5 minutes.

Transfer to bowl. When cool, grind in spice grinder or with mortar and pestle. Return skillet to medium heat, add 2 tablespoons oil and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and transparent, about 10 minutes. Add almonds, pecans, raisins, garlic, cloves, peppercorns, allspice, cinnamon and oregano and saute, stirring constantly, until brown and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Transfer to blender and add 1 cup chicken stock. Blend until smooth. Put 2 tablespoons oil in large pot and heat over medium heat until slight haze forms over oil. Add chile puree and fry, stirring constantly, until dry, about 20 minutes. Mixture will splatter, so carefully partially cover pot with towel. Add tomatoes, sesame seeds and onion mixture and cook, stirring constantly, 10 minutes. Add chicken stock to make fairly loose mixture, 4 to 6 cups, and continue cooking, adding more stock as necessary. Slice plantains and fry in 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until brown and slightly crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Add plantain or pineapple to chile mixture and cook about 10 minutes to combine flavors. Add 1 tablespoon salt or more to taste. Stir in sugar. Mole should be thick enough to coat spoon. Add more stock to thin, if needed. Add chicken to mole and gently stir to completely coat chicken.

Transfer to large, warm serving dish or platter. Place any sauce that won't fit in serving dish in bowl and serve with corn tortillas. Yields 8 to 10 servings.

Each of 10 servings: 208 calories; 709 mg sodium; 1 mg cholesterol; 10 grams fat; 24 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams protein; 1¼ grams fiber Recipe Source: Los Angeles Times - 04-28-1999 Recipe from Billy Cross, founder of the Napa Valley's Great Chefs of France Cooking School

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