**Discover the Enchanting World of Mole Paste and Its Culinary Magic**
Mole, a symphony of flavors that has captivated palates for centuries, finds its heart in the rich, complex paste that forms its foundation. Our culinary journey begins with an exploration of this essential ingredient, demystifying its composition and guiding you through the steps of crafting your own homemade mole paste. From traditional recipes that honor the heritage of this ancient dish to modern interpretations that add a contemporary twist, we present a collection of mole paste recipes that will ignite your culinary passion.
**Recipes Featured:**
1. **Classic Mexican Mole Paste:** Embark on a culinary expedition to the heart of Mexico with this traditional mole paste recipe. Roasted chiles, nuts, and seeds come together in a harmonious blend, releasing a symphony of flavors that will transport your taste buds to the bustling markets of Mexico City.
2. **Oaxacan Black Mole Paste:** Immerse yourself in the rich culinary traditions of Oaxaca with this black mole paste recipe. A captivating blend of ancho, guajillo, and pasilla chiles, along with a medley of spices and chocolate, creates a dark, complex paste that will add depth and intrigue to your mole sauce.
3. **Poblano Mole Paste:** Hailing from the vibrant state of Puebla, this poblano mole paste recipe showcases the region's unique culinary heritage. Poblano chiles, tomatoes, and a touch of sweetness from plantains and raisins combine to create a vibrant, flavorful paste that will elevate your mole sauce to new heights.
4. **Yucatecan Mole Paste:** Explore the vibrant flavors of the Yucatán Peninsula with this distinctive mole paste recipe. Achiote paste, habanero chiles, and a hint of sour orange create a fiery, tangy paste that will add an unforgettable kick to your mole sauce.
5. **Modern Mole Paste with Sweet Potato:** Embark on a culinary adventure with this contemporary mole paste recipe that fuses traditional flavors with a modern twist. Roasted sweet potatoes lend a subtle sweetness to the paste, while chipotle chiles and cocoa powder add a smoky, rich complexity that will tantalize your taste buds.
MOLE SAUCE
Authentic Mole Sauce (Mole Poblano) made from toasting and blending sweet and earthy ingredients and spices into a smooth simmered sauce, served over chicken.
Provided by Lauren Allen
Categories Main Course
Time 1h30m
Number Of Ingredients 36
Steps:
- Add chicken, garlic, onion, bay leaf, chicken bouillon, salt, oregano and water to pot. Bring to a low boil and cook over medium heat until chicken is just cooked through, about 30 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate, (reserving the broth) cover to keep it warm and set aside.
- Add the sesame seeds to a large dry skillet over medium heat and cook them, stirring constantly, until toasted. Be careful not to burn them. Set aside.
- Use scissors to cut a line down all the chilies to open them up flat. Remove veins and seeds.
- Add a few tablespoons of oil to the skillet over medium heat. In a separate large saucepan, add 2 cups of water and turn heat to medium-low.
- Once oil in the skillet is hot, add one layer of chilies at a time to the skillet, frying on both sides for just a few seconds, careful not to burn them, then transfer them to the saucepan of water.
- We will continue to fry most of the remaining ingredients, one at a time, so add a little oil between each batch, as needed, just to coat the bottom of the pan.
- Fry the peanuts stirring often so they toast but don't burn, about 45 seconds. Add to the pot. Repeat with almonds, then raisins, then animal crackers, then corn tortilla, and bread slices, adding each to the saucepan and pressing down as much as possible into the water.
- Turn skillet heat to medium-high and add more oil if needed to coat the bottom of the pan. Add onion and fry for 1-2 minutes. Add garlic and fry for just a few seconds before spooning the onion and garlic into the pot. Add sliced plantain to the hot oil and fry on both sides, then add to the pot.
- Reduce heat to medium and add peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, anise, and crushed red pepper to hot oil and fry for a few seconds, stirring constantly, then add to the pot.
- To the saucepan with all of the ingredients, stir in 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 ½ teaspoons chicken bouillon.
- Add the chopped chocolate to a bowl and pour some of the chicken broth into it, to help it melt. Set aside.
- Add 2 tablespoons lard or oil to a large saucepan. Once melted, remove from heat and set aside.
- Working in batches, add everything from the pot with the chilies to a blender and add enough of the reserved chicken broth to allow the mixture to blend. During one of the batches, add ¼ cup of reserved toasted sesame seeds. Blend each batch for several minutes, until completely smooth, adding more chicken broth if needed.
- Pour sauce through a fine mesh strainer (discarding what's leftover in the strainer) into the pot with the melted lard.
- After everything has been blended and strained to the pot, add the melted chocolate and broth mixture (you can blend it too, if the chocolate has not completely melted), to the pot. Add 1 Tablespoon of brown sugar, to start, then add more to taste, as needed.
- Cook the mole sauce over medium-low heat for 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring often. If the mixture is too thick, add more chicken broth (I usually end up using all of the remaining chicken broth). Taste and add salt or sugar, as needed.
- Place chicken on a plate and ladle a big spoonful of sauce on top, then garnish with sesame seeds. Serve with Mexican rice and warm corn tortillas on the side.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 577 kcal, Carbohydrate 50 g, Protein 27 g, Fat 33 g, SaturatedFat 8 g, Cholesterol 71 mg, Sodium 912 mg, Fiber 13 g, Sugar 20 g, ServingSize 1 serving
MOLE PASTE (USED FOR MAKING MOLE SAUCE)
Adapted from Emeril's recipe, on FoodNetwork,Tequila Marinated Chicken in Mole Sauce, the first step in creating Mole Sauce is to make this paste, which yields 3 1/2 cups. The paste is then further combined with additional chocolate and chicken stock to make an exquisitely complex Mole Sauce to serve with roasted chicken, turkey, pork, fish, Emeril's Tequila Marinated Chicken or in enchiladas. Garnish with the usual in Mexican cuisine, diced avocado, corn tortillas, cilantro, and pickled onion. Since only about a cup is used at a time, the remainder freezes well for use at a later time. I will try this with duck and/or rabbit and get back with you on this one.
Provided by French Terrine
Categories Sauces
Time 2h
Yield 3 1/2 cups
Number Of Ingredients 22
Steps:
- Preheat broiler and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Broil garlic cloves, tomatoes and onions. Remove garlic cloves after they have softened, about 10-12 minutes and continue broiling the tomatoes and onions until slightly caramelized.
- Heat a large skillet and toast the chilies until just browned and fragrant, being careful not to burn. Place toasted chili pods in a large glass bowl and cover with hot water, allowing to soften.
- In same skillet toast reserved seeds from chilies and sesame seeds, then transfer to a separate bowl.
- With skillet still hot, toast the cloves, peppercorns, oregano, thyme, and cinnamon stick a few seconds until fragrant. Then add to bowl with toasted sesame and chili seeds.
- Once garlic cloves have cooled, peel them and combine in blender with the tomatoes and onions, rehydrated chili pods (do not add in the rehydrating liquid), the toasted seeds and toasted spices, along with the nuts, raisins, and about 1 cup of chicken stock. Puree until smooth and thick, scraping down the sides. (After first trying a food processor, we were able to get a smoother puree using a Ninja style blender).
- In a large deep pot, heat the cooking oil (I used peanut oil). Once hot, add in the pureed mixture, being careful to avoid splatter burns. Once mixture has come to a boil, lower heat, bring to a simmer and then add 3 1/2 ounces chocolate to the pot.
- Allow to simmer, stirring frequently, for about an hour until a deeply rich reddish brown shimmer has developed. (I love watching Rick Bayless on the Create Network cook this over an open fire in a large cazuela).
- Use about a cup of this paste to make your Mole Sauce. Freeze the remainder away in 1 cup containers for a later use.
- *********************************************************************.
- To make Mole Sauce, heat about 1 tablespoon oil in large deep sauce pan.
- Add pureed fire-roasted tomatoes and saute a few minutes.
- Add 1 cup of Mole Paste.
- Stir in remaining 1 cup chicken stock, bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer.
- Add in 1/2 oz of chopped chocolate. Continue to simmer and add additional stock if necessary, until a suitable consistency, then keep warm until ready to serve.
- Enjoy with grilled/roasted chicken, turkey, pork, variations with fish, or use to make enchiladas. Delicious with grilled chicken but my goal is to make this with rabbit and/or duck.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 787.7, Fat 45.7, SaturatedFat 8.2, Cholesterol 4.1, Sodium 535.4, Carbohydrate 89.9, Fiber 21.1, Sugar 39.1, Protein 21.8
30-MINUTE MOLE
Several styles of mole - negro, colorado, verde and so many more - span different regions throughout Mexico, and the formulas vary from family to family. Mole is often viewed as intimidating, a sauce that requires toasting each ingredient individually, pounding them down to a paste and then cooking over low heat for hours to achieve layers of flavor. Although this recipe will never stand up to the mole an abuelita has been making for more than half her life, it will satiate the craving for homemade mole on a weeknight. Shortcuts like using roasted peanut butter and tahini help create this satisfying sauce in just 30 minutes. It's perfect for serving over just about anything: roasted mushrooms or seared cauliflower, jackfruit or tofu. It can even be tossed with cooked rice noodles.
Provided by Jocelyn Ramirez
Categories sauces and gravies
Time 30m
Yield 4 1/2 cups
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Heat broth in a small saucepan over medium-high until steaming; remove from heat. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium pot over medium. Add all the dried chiles and sear until darkened, turning constantly so they don't burn and become bitter, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer chiles to the hot broth to rehydrate for 10 minutes. Set a bowl over the chiles to keep them submerged.
- Add the remaining tablespoon oil and the onion to the same medium pot (no need to wash). Cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Transfer to a blender, along with the chiles and their soaking liquid, the peanut butter, tahini, sugar, cacao, chocolate, oregano, cumin, cinnamon and toasted tortilla. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Pour the mole back into the same medium pot and set over high heat. Once the mole starts to bubble, lower heat to medium and simmer, stirring every couple of minutes to make sure the mole isn't burning or sticking to the pot, until the flavors marry, at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes. Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Serve with cauliflower or vegetable or protein of your choice.
AUTHENTIC MOLE SAUCE
Hot chiles and rich chocolate make this authentic mole sauce perfect for topping stewed meats or enchiladas.
Provided by Allrecipes
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes Mole Sauce Recipes
Time 1h
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 22
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 506.8 calories, Carbohydrate 74.9 g, Cholesterol 7.1 mg, Fat 23.3 g, Fiber 11.3 g, Protein 11 g, SaturatedFat 8.8 g, Sodium 1372.7 mg, Sugar 42.5 g
Tips:
- Use fresh, high-quality ingredients whenever possible.
- Toast the spices before grinding them to enhance their flavor.
- Simmer the mole paste for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.
- Use a blender or food processor to create a smooth and creamy mole paste.
- Taste the mole paste before adding it to the sauce to adjust the seasonings as needed.
- Mole paste can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Conclusion:
Mole paste is a versatile ingredient that can be used to make a variety of delicious Mexican dishes. With its complex and flavorful profile, mole paste can elevate any dish to the next level. Whether you're using it to make a traditional mole sauce or experimenting with new flavor combinations, mole paste is sure to become a staple in your kitchen.
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