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Chicken Mole Recipe

Name: Land Ocean Restaurant Meridians Chicken Mole Recipe
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1.2 kg bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs; 2 tbsp olive oil; 3 each garlic cloves, minced; 1.5 tsp kosher salt; 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 3 each dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded; 2 each dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded; 1 each dried pasilla or mulato chile, stemmed and seeded; 3 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 each medium white onion, quartered; 1 each tomato, halved; 1 each roma tomato or plum tomato (optional), halved; 4 each garlic cloves; 0.25 cup blanched almonds; 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds; 2 tbsp raisins; 1 slice day-old white bread, cubed (or 2 corn tortillas); 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder; 25 g bittersweet chocolate (60-70% cacao), chopped; 0.5 tsp ground cumin; 0.25 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp dried oregano (Mexican if available); 2 cup chicken stock; 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 1 tbsp brown sugar or piloncillo, grated; 1 tsp salt (to taste); 2 tbsp vegetable oil or lard (for frying bread/almonds); 1 cup long-grain white rice; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 cup chicken stock or water

Inspired by Land Ocean Restaurant Meridian

Time2h 30m

Serves4

House made mole sauce, Spanish rice, zucchini flower and corn tortillas

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Ingredients

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Chicken and Marinade

2 2/3 lb (1.2 kg) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

2 tbsp olive oil

3 each Garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Mole Sauce

3 each dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded

2 each dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded

1 each dried pasilla or mulato chile, stemmed and seeded

3 tbsp Tuscany sunflower oil

1 each medium white onion, quartered

1 each tomato, halved

1 each roma tomato or plum tomato (optional), halved

4 each Garlic cloves

1/4 cup blanched almonds

2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

2 tbsp raisins

1 slice day-old white bread, cubed (or 2 corn tortillas)

1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

7/8 oz (25 g) bittersweet chocolate (60-70% cacao), chopped

1/2 tsp Ground cumin

1/4 tsp Ground cinnamon

1 tsp dried oregano (Mexican if available)

2 cup chicken stock

1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp brown sugar or piloncillo, grated

1 tsp salt (to taste)

2 tbsp vegetable oil or lard (for frying bread/almonds)

Spanish Rice

1 cup Long-grain white rice

1 tbsp Tuscany sunflower oil

2 cup chicken stock or water

1/2 cup tomato sauce or blended tomato (see note)

1 each garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup Onion, finely chopped

3/4 tsp Celtic sea salt

1/4 tsp Ground cumin

Zucchini Flowers and Garnish

8 each fresh zucchini flowers, gently cleaned

1/4 cup queso fresco or farmer's cheese, crumbled (optional)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour (for light dusting)

2 tbsp fine cornmeal or masa harina (for dusting, optional)

1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt

1/2 cup neutral oil (for shallow frying)

Tortillas and Finishing

8 each corn tortillas

2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)

4 each Lime wedges

Method

Chicken and Marinade

Season and Brown Chicken

Pat chicken thighs dry. Rub with olive oil, minced garlic, kosher salt and black pepper. Heat a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and brown chicken, skin-side down first, 4–5 minutes per side, until golden. Remove and set aside.

Reserve pan drippings in the pot — these will add flavor to the mole braise.

Mole Sauce

Prepare and toast chiles

Working carefully, remove stems and seeds from dried chiles. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the chile skins briefly (30–45 seconds per side) until aromatic but not burnt. Remove and set aside. Then place the chiles in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let soak 20 minutes until softened, then drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid.

Toast aromatics and nuts

In the same skillet, add 1–2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Sauté the quartered onion, whole garlic cloves and halved tomato until charred and softened, about 6–8 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool. Add the blanched almonds and sesame seeds to the skillet and toast lightly until golden, 2–3 minutes.

Fry bread and raisins

Heat 1–2 tablespoons oil in the skillet. Fry the cubed bread (or torn corn tortillas) until crisp and browned. Add the raisins for 30–60 seconds to plump and caramelize. Remove and set aside with the nuts.

Blend the mole

In a blender, combine the drained softened chiles, charred onions, tomatoes, garlic, toasted almonds, sesame seeds, fried bread, raisins, cocoa powder, ground cumin, ground cinnamon, oregano and about 1/2 cup of the reserved chile soaking liquid. Add roughly 1 cup of chicken stock. Blend on high until completely smooth (1–2 minutes). You may need to do this in batches. Strain the purée through a fine-mesh sieve back into a bowl or large measuring cup, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible.

Simmer and season the mole

Return the Dutch oven or saucepan to medium-low heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and pour in the strained mole purée. Cook, stirring frequently, until it thickens and darkens, 8–12 minutes. Gradually stir in remaining chicken stock to reach a sauce consistency that will coat the back of a spoon (about 1–1.25 cups total stock used). Add apple cider vinegar, brown sugar and chopped bittersweet chocolate. Simmer gently 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, to marry flavors. Taste and adjust salt, sweetness or acidity as needed (add up to 1/2 tsp more salt or a pinch more sugar).

Finish and braise chicken in mole

Nestle the browned chicken thighs into the mole sauce, skin-side up. Add enough warm water or stock so the sauce comes halfway up the chicken (do not fully submerge the skin). Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 25–30 minutes until chicken is cooked through (internal temperature 75°C / 165°F) and sauce is glossy. Remove chicken; if you prefer a smoother sauce, whisk or briefly re-blend the sauce, then return chicken to warm in it for 5 minutes.

Spanish Rice

Rinse rice under cold water until water runs clear. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Add rice and toast, stirring, until edges are opaque and lightly golden, 3–4 minutes. Add minced garlic and chopped onion; sauté 1 minute.

Stir in tomato sauce, chicken stock, salt and cumin. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover tightly and cook 15–18 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let rest 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Zucchini Flowers and Garnish

Gently open each zucchini flower and inspect for insects; remove pistil if desired. If using cheese, stuff about 1 teaspoon of crumbled queso fresco into each flower and twist closed lightly.

Lightly dust each flower with a mixture of flour, cornmeal (if using) and 1/4 tsp salt. Heat neutral oil in a shallow skillet to 175–185°C (350–365°F). Fry flowers in batches, turning once, until golden and crisp, about 1–2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and keep warm.

Tortillas and Plating

Warm corn tortillas on a dry skillet or comal over medium heat, about 30–45 seconds per side, or wrap in a damp towel and microwave 30–45 seconds. Keep wrapped to stay pliable.

To plate: Spoon a bed of Spanish rice onto each plate. Place a warmed corn tortilla or two alongside. Ladle generous amounts of mole onto the plate and place a chicken thigh on top, spooning additional sauce over it. Add 1–2 fried zucchini flowers per plate. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds (from mole steps, optional), chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Serve extra mole on the side.