Chicken Mole Verde Recipes

MOLE VERDE

Steps:

• Place the meat and bay leaf in a large casserole, and add just enough water to barely cover it. Turn heat to medium and cook for about 30 minutes with the lid on. The water will start to reduce, and the meat will start browning on its rendered fat. The slow cooking process will produce a tender meat. If after this period of time your meat still looks though, keep cooking and add a little bit more water as needed.
• While the meat is cooking, place tomatillos in a saucepan*, cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once it starts boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer until tomatillos are pale green and soft, about 6-8 minute.o
• Place the cooked and drained tomatillos in a blender with the pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, Serrano peppers, garlic, onion, romaine lettuce leaves, Hoja Santa leaves, cilantro leaves, spices, and 1 cup of water or chicken broth. Process until you have a very smooth sauce. Depending on your blender, you may need to work in batches.
• By this time, the meat should be starting to brown in the casserole. Pour the sauce over the meat and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to avoid the sauce from sticking to the bottom. Once the sauce starts boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently to allow all the flavors to be absorbed. Add the cubed vegetables and more water as needed.
• Keep slowly simmering until the vegetables are cooked, about 8 minutes. Serve warm with a nice portion of rice and corn tortillas to scoop up the mole sauce from the plate.

CHICKEN MOLE VERDE

Steps:

• For the chicken: Put the chicken parts in a large pot and add enough water to cover the meat by 2 inches. Add the onion, garlic, and salt. Bring to a simmer over high heat, skimming off any foam, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the meat begins to pull away from the drumstick and the thigh joint feels loose, about 30 minutes. Let cool in the broth, then strain and reserve the broth and chicken separately.
• For the mole: Toast the sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds together in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring until the sesame seeds are golden brown and the pumpkin seeds have started to darken and pop, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add the 1/4 cup oil to the skillet and return to medium heat. When the oil is hot, fry the peanuts until golden, about 1 minute. With a slotted spoon, transfer the peanuts to the bowl with the seeds, leaving the oil behind. Add the ginger, allspice, and cloves to the seed mixture.
• In the same skillet, in the oil remaining, fry the plantain over medium heat until lightly browned, about 3 minutes, then set the plantain aside. Add the serrano and poblano chiles, the onion, and the whole garlic cloves and fry until the chiles blister all over and the onion and garlic char in spots, 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside. Add the tomatillos to the same skillet and cook, turning, until they char and blister in spots, about 5 minutes. Set them aside.
• Toast the tortilla directly over a gas flame or under a broiler until it blackens in spots and becomes crisp, about 1 minute. Let cool, then tear into pieces.
• Put the seed mixture in a blender and blend on high speed, adding enough of the chicken broth-about 1 cup-to make a paste that is as smooth as possible. Transfer to a small bowl.
• Working in batches, put the tomatillos, plantain, chiles, onion, garlic, tortilla pieces, chopped lettuce, 1 cup cilantro, and the avocado in the blender and puree until smooth. (Put the tomatillos in first to have enough liquid to engage the blender.) Transfer to a bowl.
• Put any leftover frying oil in a large pot and add enough additional vegetable oil to make 2 tablespoons. Set over medium heat and add the seed paste. Cook, stirring, until the paste becomes fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatillo puree and bring to a simmer. Add 5 cups of the reserved chicken broth and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/4 hours to develop flavor. Add the sugar and season with salt. Remove half the sauce (about 5 cups) and freeze for later use.
• Cut each chicken breast in half crosswise. Cut the leg-thigh quarters in half at the joint. You should have 12 pieces. Place the chicken parts in the mole and simmer until hot throughout. Thin with more chicken broth if desired.
• Divide the mole and chicken among 6 warm bowls or plates. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
• Enjoy with Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc or another crisp and herbaceous white wine.