Mole Negro with Chicken

Prepare the chiles: remove stems and seeds from the Dried Mulato Chiles, Dried Ancho Chiles, Dried Pasilla Chiles and Dried Chilhuacle Negro Chiles. Toast them briefly in a dry skillet until fragrant (30–60 seconds per side), then soak in hot Water for 20–30 minutes until pliable; reserve the soaking liquid.

Toast the dry mix-ins: in the same skillet toast 2–3 tablespoons of Sesame Seeds, 1/3 cup Blanched Almonds, and 1/3 cup Unsalted Peanuts until golden. Remove and toast torn Corn Tortillas and a piece of Bolillo Roll until crisp and slightly browned, then fry slices of ripe Plantain until caramelized. Toss in 1/4 cup Raisins at the end to plump slightly.

Roast the fresh aromatics: char or roast halved Tomatoes and Tomatillos, and rough-chop one White Onion and several cloves of Garlic. Roast on a comal or under the broiler until blackened in spots for extra depth.

Toast dry spices: in a small pan toast 1 stick of Mexican Cinnamon Stick, 6–8 Whole Cloves, 1 teaspoon Black Peppercorns, 1/2 teaspoon Anise Seeds and 1 teaspoon Coriander Seeds until aromatic; grind or crush them coarsely.

Heat 2–3 tablespoons of Lard in a wide skillet over medium heat. Sauté the roasted onion and Garlic until translucent and fragrant, then add the drained toasted chiles and lightly fry them a minute to deepen their flavor. Add the toasted nuts, seeds, crisped bread, Plantain and Raisins and fry together briefly to marry the flavors.

Combine for the puree: transfer the fried mixture to a blender along with the charred Tomatoes and Tomatillos, the ground toasted spices, a pinch of Dried Mexican Oregano, and a couple of Dried Avocado Leaves or a Hoja Santa Leaves if using. Pour in about 2–3 cups of Chicken Broth plus some of the reserved chile soaking liquid and blend until completely smooth; strain through a fine sieve into a pot for an extra-silky mole.

Season and sweeten: return the strained sauce to low heat and stir in grated Mexican Table Chocolate and grated Piloncillo or adjust sweetening to taste. Simmer gently 20–30 minutes, stirring and thinning with more Chicken Broth or water if it becomes too thick. Taste and season with Salt as needed.

Prepare the chicken: season Chicken Pieces with a little Salt. In a heavy pot brown the pieces briefly in a bit of Lard to develop color, then add the Bay Leaves and pour enough of the finished mole to almost cover the chicken; add extra Chicken Broth if needed. Simmer covered over low heat until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 30–40 minutes.

Finish and serve: remove the Bay Leaves and any whole dried leaves before serving. Adjust seasoning and texture—if the mole is too bitter add a touch more Piloncillo or a pinch of Salt, if too thick thin with broth. Serve the chicken smothered in mole, sprinkled with reserved toasted Sesame Seeds and warm Corn Tortillas on the side.