Soledads Mole Recipes

Steps:

• In a large dry skillet over medium heat, toast ancho, guajillo, and cascabel chiles in batches until fragrant but not burned, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, add 6 cups hot water, and let soak for 1 hour.
• In the same dry skillet, toast sesame seeds, shaking pan constantly, until golden brown and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat process with peanuts, almonds, and pecans. Add raisins to skillet, and cook for about 30 seconds. Add to bowl with nut mixture.
• Raise heat under the skillet to medium-high, and add onions and garlic. Cook until slightly charred; add to bowl with the nuts.
• In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add plantains, and cook until golden; add to bowl with nut mixture.
• Place tortilla directly over a medium flame, turning it until blackened. Add to bowl with nut mixture.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add tomatoes, and cook for 3 minutes; use a slotted spoon to transfer to bowl with the nut mixture. Add tomatillos to boiling water, and cook for 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to bowl with nut mixture.
• In a large stockpot, cook cinnamon stick, peppercorns, and cloves over medium heat until fragrant, 10 to 20 seconds. Add the soaked chiles with their liquid, the nut mixture, the bread, thyme, and oregano. Remove from heat.
• Use an immersion blender to puree (or puree in batches in a blender). Strain through a medium sieve into a second stockpot. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally and taking care not to burn, for 2 hours. Add chocolate, stirring, until completely melted. If using for tamales, thin with chicken stock to a pouring consistency.

Steps:

• Toast guajillo chiles, ancho chiles, and chipotle chiles in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until warm and aromatic, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the blender with chicken broth.
• Heat 2 cups chicken broth in a saucepan until it begins to simmer, about 5 minutes. Pour broth into a blender.
• Toast dinner roll pieces and tortilla strips in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the blender with chicken broth and chiles
• Allow the chiles and toasted bread and tortillas to soak, fully submerged, in the chicken broth until softened, about 10 minutes. Blend the mixture until smooth.
• Cook tomatoes and tomatillos in a dry skillet on medium-high heat until soft and blackened, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Place tomatoes in the blender with the chile puree.
• Melt lard in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, garlic, peanuts, raisins, cumin seeds, thyme, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and allspice berries; cook and stir until onions are soft and golden, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the cinnamon sticks and other whole spices; add onion mixture to the blender with the chile-tomato mixture and blend until smooth.
• Pour chile puree into a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in chocolate chicken broth, sugar, and salt. Bring mixture to a simmer; stir until chocolate is melted and sauce is thickened and slightly reduced, 10 to 15 minutes.

Steps:

• Place chicken, garlic, and peppercorns in a medium stockpot. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until cooked through, 35 to 45 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, reserving liquid. Let chicken stand until cool enough to handle. Remove meat, and shred into bite-size pieces; set aside. Discard skin and bones.
• If banana leaves are thick and not supple, they need to be steamed: Pour a couple of inches of water in a large pot, and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Roll banana leaves loosely, and arrange in a steamer basket. Place basket over water, cover, and steam leaves until pliable, about 30 minutes.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine masa, 1/2 cup reserved chicken-cooking liquid (freeze remaining liquid for another use), salt, and shortening, and beat on medium until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes; set aside
• Place a 12-inch piece of banana leaf on a flat work surface (if leaves are smaller, you can use a few to create one larger surface). Spread a very thin layer of the masa mixture (about 1/4 inch thick) over the banana leaf, leaving a 1-inch border. Place 1/2 cup of shredded chicken in center of the masa. Pour 1/4 cup mole over chicken. Fold edges up and over to enclose filling and form a packet. Repeat with remaining leaves, masa, chicken, and mole (reserve 1 1/2 cups mole for serving).
• Bring a pot of water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Arrange masa packets in steamer. Place over water, cover, and steam for 1 hour.
• To serve, use a serrated knife to cut a cross in the center of the package. Pull back corners, exposing tamale. Drizzle with remaining mole, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Steps:

• Toast ancho, guajillo, and cascabel chiles in a cast iron skillet until skins blister.
• Remove from skillet and stem, seed, and devein chiles; set to the side.
• Place tomatoes and green tomatoes in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Drain and whirl in blender or food processor and set aside.
• In a large saucepan, heat corn oil over low flame.
• Cut the bread into pieces and fry in the corn oil until golden brown.
• Add next 11 ingredients to the toasted bread and stir together, adding more corn oil as necessary to coat everything lightly.
• Add chopped roasted onion and minced roasted garlic.
• Continue to fry over low flame for about 20 minutes.
• Add blended tomato mixture.
• Remove from heat and set aside.
• Place corn tortilla over open flame and cook until burnt and crispy; tear up and set to the side.
• In a medium frying pan, fry roasted chiles in corn oil along with burnt tortilla pieces for a few minutes.
• Combine tomato/spice/nut mixture with chile mixture in large saucepan.
• Add chocolate piece and cook until melted over a low flame.
• Add about 1/2 cup chicken stock to mixture and stir.
• Place mixture into blender or food processor and puree until all ingredients have combined completely.
• More chicken stock may be added to smooth out sauce.
• In a large saucepan, heat vegetable shortening.
• Add puree to the shortening and cook, stirring constantly to avoid scorching.
• Add more of the chicken stock until you achieve the right level of consistency that you'd like.
• Warm sauce for another 30 minutes over a low flame.

Steps:

• In a large heavy-bottom saucepan, heat oil over medium-high. Add ancho chile; cook until soft and pliable (do not brown), 30 to 60 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon, and discard stem. Transfer chile to a food processor.
• To pan, add almonds, garlic, and tortillas; cook, stirring, until toasted, 2 to 3 minutes; transfer to food processor with slotted spoon.
• Add onion and tomatoes to pan; cook until tomatoes begin to blacken, 8 to 10 minutes (reduce heat if necessary). Add raisins and pepper flakes; transfer to food processor.
• Add chocolate and cinnamon to food processor; puree until a paste begins to form, about 3 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water; puree until smooth, about 7 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.
• Divide between two airtight containers; refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months. Defrost over low heat or in the microwave.