By Michael Minorgan for Curtains Up
MOLE !
This iconic Mexican sauce can be a bit daunting when you first look at a recipe. On closer observation it is not as complicated as it first appears. Yes, there are a bunch of ingredients in the traditionally mole popularized principally in the Mexican states of Puebla and Oaxaca, but there also many variations that are true to the original in flavor but much easier to put together.
This week’s recipe is one of these and is combined with another Mexican specialty “Roadside Grilled Chicken”
A common legend of its creation takes place at the Convent of Santa Rosa in Puebla early in the colonial period. Upon hearing that the archbishop was going to visit, the convent nuns went into a panic because they were poor and had almost nothing to prepare. The nuns prayed and brought together the little bits of what they did have, including chili peppers, spices, day-old bread, nuts, and a little chocolate. They killed an old turkey, cooked it and put the sauce on top; the archbishop loved it, when the nun was asked the name of the dish, she replied, “I made a Mole”. Mole was the ancient word for mix, now this word mostly refers to the dish, and rarely is used to signify other kinds of mix in Spanish .[2][3]
A similar version of the story says that monk Fray Pascual invented the dish, again to serve the archbishop of Puebla. In this version, spices were knocked over or blown over into pots in which turkeys were cooking
Modern mole is a mixture of ingredients from North America, Europe and Africa, making it the first international dish created in the Americas (1)….Enjoy!
(1) Wikipedia
Chicken Spice Rub
Ingredients
11/2 tsp ancho chili power
1 tsp dried oregano
pinch ground cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
3 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar
2 garlic cloves fine chopped or pressed in garlic press
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
Method
Combine all ingredients and rub over Cornish hen or chicken. Seal in a plastic bag and let marinate in frig for about 3 hours. Place in a roasting pan and sprinkle with some salt and pepper and drizzle some oil over. Roast at 450 for about 20 minutes then turn sown the heat to 350 and cook for about 45 mi9nutes until internal temperature of the bird reaches 165 degrees.
Apple Butter Mole
Ingredients
1 large onion chopped
2 guajillo chilies chopped
1 chipotle chili with adobo chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 cup Apple butter
pinch of cinnamon powder
Chicken Stock
Method
Sauté onions and chilies in a bit of vegetable oil until the onions start to brown. Add the garlic and the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer. Let the sauce simmer for about 30 minutes to reduce a bit. :Process in a blender and strain. Adjust seasoning as required. Serve with Chicken or Cornish game hen.
Original recipe from “Nuevo Tex Mex by David Garrido and Robb Walsh
