GRILLED QUAIL WITH SAUL'S RED MOLE

Grilled Quail with Saul's Red Mole image

One of the things I love most about Southern food is how it is constantly evolving, and these days that change has a lot to do with the culinary traditions of recent immigrants from Mexico, Cuba, and Central and South America. I first learned how to make mole from my friend Saul, after I tried his rendition at one of my favorite Durham restaurants, Nana's, and persuaded him to teach me how to make it myself. The South's favorite game bird is smothered in this rich, spicy Mexican sauce infused with dark chocolate and spices, thickened with ground seeds and nuts, and spiked with numerous chiles, exemplifying the old-yet-new trend. The result is incredibly complex and distinctive. You will have extra mole, so give it a try on other dishes, like eggs, grilled chicken, or steak.

Yield serves 4 to 6

Number Of Ingredients 26

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Ingredients

2 dried ancho chiles
2 dried pasilla chiles
2 dried guajillo chiles
2 dried jalapeño peppers
2 Roma (plum) tomatoes, cored
1/2 onion, sliced
1/2 apple, peeled and cored
1/2 ripe plantain, peeled and halved
1 garlic clove
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more if needed
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
1 tablespoon peanuts
1/2 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 slice white bread, cubed
1 3/4 ounces Abuelita brand chocolate, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 partially boned quail
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or scallions
1 lime, cut into wedges

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Heat a dry cast-iron skillet to just before the smoking point (see Know-how, page 147).
Remove and discard the seeds from the ancho, pasilla, guajillo, and jalapeño peppers and roast the chiles in the skillet over medium-high heat, turning regularly to avoid burning, about 3 minutes, until the chiles release a toasted scent. Transfer the chiles to a bowl of warm water to soak for 10 to 15 minutes, until soft, then drain.
While the chiles are soaking, place the tomatoes, onion, apple, plantain, and garlic in the skillet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Roast in the oven until slightly brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
Place the tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a blender and reserve the apple and plantain and set aside. Add the soaked chiles and 1 cup of the broth and puree until smooth. Remove from the blender and place in a large bowl.
Place the pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, peanuts, cinnamon stick, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and bread in a skillet and dry roast over medium-high heat, stirring or shaking the pan constantly, until they release an aroma, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, cool slightly, and transfer to the same blender. Add the remaining 1 cup broth, the roasted apple and plantain, and the chocolate and puree until smooth. Place in the bowl with the chile mixture, season with salt and pepper to taste, and stir to combine. The consistency should be about the same as a pureed soup or loose sauce; if the mole is too thick, add more broth until the desired consistency is reached.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add the pureed chile mixture, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, until the color darkens and the flavors meld.
Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal or gas grill and let the coals burn to gray ash with a slight red glow; if using a gas grill, heat the grill on medium.
Rinse the quail, pat dry, and place in a shallow dish. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle evenly with the thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Turn several times to coat evenly with the oil and herbs.
Grill the quail for 10 to 12 minutes, turning several times to prevent charring. The skin will be golden and crispy and the interior slightly pink.
Transfer the quail to a platter, cover loosely, and let rest for about 5 minutes before serving. Reheat half the mole, if necessary; spoon the sauce over and around the quail; and sprinkle with cilantro or scallions. Serve warm with lime wedges to squeeze over the quail.