Authentic Chicken in Mole in Less than 1 Hour!

Instructions

1. Place the chicken in a large pot. Add enough water to cover the chicken. Add a generous pinch of salt. Bring water to boil over high heat and then reduce to simmer, partially covered, over medium heat. As foam rises to the top of the water, skim off the foam with a ladle and discard. Do this 2 or 3 times as the chicken cooks. Simmer the chicken for about 25 to 30 minutes, just until cooked through and no longer pink. Using tongs, remove chicken from pot and place in a large baking dish or platter to let cool. Remove the skin from the chicken after it is cool enough to handle. Reserve the chicken broth left in the pot for later use in the mole. NOTE: You can skip this step and use prepared chicken instead (Rotisserie, smoked, grilled, leftover, etc.). Just be sure to have a box of chicken broth on hand to use in the mole.
2. ROAST: While chicken is cooking, turn oven to broil. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the onion, tomatillo and tomato pieces (skin side up) on the foil. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast the ingredients until soft and charred in some spots. Depending on the strength of your broiler, this could take anywhere from 3 to 7 minutes, so check it often. When ingredients are sufficiently charred, remove baking sheet from oven and turn off broiler.
3. FRY: Now it’s time to start frying the remaining ingredients. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. While the oil is heating up, fill a large mixing bowl about half-way full (I like to use my Pyrex 8-cup measuring cup) with hot tap water. Set the bowl next to the stove. When the oil is hot (shimmering but not smoking), place the chiles, three at a time, into the pan. Fry the chiles for about 30 seconds per side, being careful not to burn them. Using tongs, move the chiles to the bowl of water, and repeat the frying process with the six remaining chiles, transferring the fried chiles to the bowl of water after each batch. Push the chiles down into the water to submerge them. After you finish frying the chiles, discard any oil left in the pan, along with any burnt seeds or pieces of pepper that might have been left behind. Now pour about 3 more tablespoons fresh olive oil into the pan, and heat the oil over medium heat. Add the raisins and fry until puffy, about 30 seconds, stirring them frequently. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the raisins to the bowl with the chiles. Add a little more oil to the pan and let it heat up. Then add the corn tortilla pieces and fry, about 30-45 seconds, stirring them as you work. Transfer the tortilla pieces to the bowl of water. Repeat the same process with the cloves of garlic, frying just until golden, about 30 to 45 seconds, and then transferring to the bowl of water. Do the same with the plantain slices, frying just until golden on both sides, about 30 seconds per side, and then transferring to the bowl of water. Repeat the same process with the sesame and pumpkin seeds, frying until lightly toasted, about 30-45 seconds, stirring as you work to prevent burning. Transfer the fried seeds and any remaining oil to the bowl of water. Turn off the stove and set the saucepan aside.
4. SOAK: To the bowl of water, add the roasted onions, tomatoes, and tomatillos, as well as the ground cinnamon, chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon salt. Submerge everything in water and let sit for about 5 minutes.
5. BLEND: Set up your blender. Using tongs as needed, transfer everything soaking in the bowl of water into the jar of the blender. (If it won’t all fit, work in batches.) Blend on high until very smooth. Add some of the reserved chicken broth if the sauce is too thick to blend.
6. STRAIN: Now it’s time to strain the sauce. Even though the sauce is well-blended, there are still some solid pieces and seeds that need to be removed. To strain the sauce, hold a fine mesh sieve over a large pot or Dutch oven. Pour the sauce into the sieve, about 1 cup at a time. Using a rubber spatula, press and stir the mixture in the sieve so that it passes through to the pot; then use the spatula to scoop up and discard any solid pieces that are left in the strainer. Repeat the process with the remaining sauce, adding a bit of chicken broth as needed to thin the sauce and clean out the blender.
7. You’re almost done!! Have a taste and see what you think. It will probably need more salt, so add another teaspoon or so. Now place the pot on the stove and simmer gently over medium-low or low heat, stirring occasionally, to thicken the sauce and deepen the color and flavor. If your sauce seems too thick, add a cup or two of chicken broth and as it simmers. After simmering for about 10 minutes, you can remove the mole from the stove, let it cool, and store it overnight. The flavor will deepen even further over 24 hours. Or, if you want to serve it right then, add your chicken pieces to the pot with the mole and cook for about 5 minutes, or until chicken is heated through.
8. To serve place a piece or two of chicken on each plate. Cover with sauce and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve warm with red or white rice. Leftover sauce can be frozen for up to a month.

• Servings : 6-8
• Course : Main, Sauce
• Recipe Type : Recipes