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Chicken with Mole Sauce

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time about 1 hour

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons lard or extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 chicken, 3 to 4 pounds, cut into serving pieces, or 2 1/2 to 3 pounds chicken or turkey parts, trimmed of excess fat
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup chopped tomatoes with their juice
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried
  • 1 cinnamon stick or 1 teaspoon ground
  • 1 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade, or water
  • 1 dried chipotle chile, or to taste
  • 1 dried pasilla or ancho chile
  • 1/2 cup pepitas (hulled green pumpkin seeds)
  • 1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate

Instructions

  1. Put the lard in a deep skillet or flameproof casserole, preferably nonstick, with a lid. Turn the heat to medium-high and wait a minute or so, until the lard melts. Add the chicken, skin side down, and brown it well, rotating and turning the pieces as necessary and sprinkling them with salt and pepper as they cook, 10 to 15 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a plate.
  2. Add the onion, garlic, and half the cilantro and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, thyme, cinnamon, and stock, along with the chicken. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and cover; the mixture should bubble steadily but not violently. Meanwhile, toast the chiles and the pepitas in a dry skillet over medium heat until browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes; when they’re done (they’ll probably start to pop), add them to the sauce.
  3. When the chicken is tender, 20 to 30 minutes later, remove it from the sauce and keep it warm in a low oven. If the sauce seems very watery, reduce it over high heat. Add the chocolate to the sauce, taste the sauce, and add more salt and pepper if needed. Cool the sauce slightly, then transfer it to a blender and blend until smooth.
  4. Return the sauce to the skillet, turn the heat to medium, and reheat. Taste and adjust the seasoning and serve the chicken topped with the sauce and the remaining cilantro.

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Recipe variations

Baked Chicken Mole
Do not cook the chicken on the stove, but prepare the sauce as directed. Marinate the chicken in the blended sauce for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the chicken and marinade in a casserole or baking dish and bake, covered with foil, for 1 hour.

Pollo Enchilado (Chicken with Chile Sauce)
In step 2 omit the cilantro, tomatoes, bay leaf, thyme, pepitas, and chocolate. Cook the chicken as directed. Meanwhile, toast the chiles, then soak in hot water until softened, about 20 minutes. Place the chiles, onion, garlic, and cinnamon in a blender and blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper, place in the skillet with the chicken to reheat, and then serve the chicken with the sauce and the cilantro.