Best Red Mole Recipes

OAXACAN RED MOLE SAUCE (MOLE COLORADITO)

Steps:

• Chicken:.
• Cook the chicken in 4 cups of water, with garlic, onion and salt on medium heat for 45 minutes. Check to make sure that the chicken is cooked through.
• Mole sauce:.
• Wash the chiles with a damp cloth, remove the stems of the chiles, slit open with a knife and remove the seeds and veins. Toast the chiles on both sides in large frying pan over high heat, making sure that they do not burn.
• Soak the chiles in boiling water to soften them for about 10 minute Meanwhile, fry the almonds in 3 tbls. of the shortening on medium heat for 5 min., or until they are a golden color.
• Take them out and set aside.
• Next fry the raisins until they puff up and the skin browns a bit, then remove and strain in a sieve. Turn the heat down a bit, and fry the sesame seeds in the same oil, adding a little salt to prevent them from jumping from pan.
• Once golden, remove and store on an absorbent paper towel. Still in the same oil, fry the slices of bread, until they are golden. Remove and put on an absorbent paper towel. On a dry pan or skittle roast the garlic, onion and tomato until they are nicely toasted with black spots.
• In a blender, grind the chiles with a half cup of water, and add more water as necessary to blend. Once the mixture is smooth, pour into a saucepan and fry with one tbsp of the shortening for 10 minute on medium heat. Stirring occasionally to ensure that it does not stick to the pan.
• Next, blend both the roasted and fried ingredients together, until smooth. Blend the tomatoes and strain through a colander and add into the chile mixture. Now add the cinnamon sick, thyme, marjoram(if using) and the oregano. Cook for 5 more minutes. Add the chicken broth, salt, sugar and chocolate on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove cinnamon stick. Cool for 15 minutes. Pour the chicken in a serving dish, serve with rice.

SPICY CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH RED MOLE SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds and sesame seed and cook and stir for 4 minutes or until golden brown. Reserve 1 tablespoon almond mixture.
• Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, tomatoes, chipotle chiles, raisins, salt, black pepper and cinnamon. Cook for 5 minutes or until the onion is tender, stirring occasionally.
• Spoon the onion mixture into a blender. Add the broth and the remaining almond mixture. Cover and blend until the mole sauce is smooth. Pour the mole sauce into the saucepan and heat over medium heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes or until the mole sauce is slightly thickened, stirring often.
• Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Stir the chicken, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 cup mole sauce in a large bowl.
• Spread 1/2 cup mole sauce in the bottom of an 11x8x2-inch baking dish.
• Spoon about 1/4 cup chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla. Roll up the tortillas around the filling. Place the filled tortillas, seam-side down, into the baking dish. Pour the remaining mole sauce over the filled tortillas. Top with the remaining cheese. Cover the baking dish.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until the enchiladas are hot and bubbling. Sprinkle with the reserved almond mixture. Serve with the sour cream.

LACQUERED CHICKEN IN RED MOLE

Steps:

• On a rimmed baking sheet, roast the tomatillos 4 inches below the broiler until splotchy black and thoroughly soft, about 5 minutes per side. Scrape roasted tomatillos into a large bowl, along with any juices from the sheet.
• In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the sesame seeds, stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer half of the toasted sesame seeds to a large mixing bowl to combine with the roasted tomatillos; set aside the other half for serving.
• Remove and discard the stems, seeds, and veins from the dried chiles. Heat ¼ cup of the lard or oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Tear the dried chiles into large pieces and toast in the oil until they become aromatic and their interior side has lightened in color, 20-30 seconds for each side. (You will need to work in batches.) As they're done, remove them to a large bowl, draining as much fat as possible back into the skillet; reserve the fat. Cover the toasted chiles with hot tap water and allow them to rehydrate, 30 minutes.
• With the skillet still over medium heat, toast the almonds and garlic cloves, stirring, until they are browned and the garlic is soft, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the almonds and garlic into the bowl with the tomatillos and sesame seeds, leaving as much fat as possible in the skillet. Add the raisins to the hot skillet and stir for 20 or 30 seconds, until they''ve puffed and browned slightly. Scoop them out, leaving as much fat as possible in the skillet, and add to the tomatillo mixture; reserve the fat. Set the skillet aside, off the heat.
• Grind the black peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, and anise seed to powder in the mortar; transfer the powder to the tomatillo mixture. Tear the toasted bread into large pieces and add to the mixture; roughly chop the chocolate before adding.
• Add 2 cups of water to the tomatillo mixture. Drain the rehydrated chiles, reserving the soaking liquid if it''s not bitter. Otherwise, drain and substitute fresh water. Working in batches, add the drained chiles and some of the soaking liquid (or fresh water) to a blender; starting at low and moving to high speed, purée until very smooth. As you go, add more water as necessary to achieve an even consistency, similar to a thick canned tomato sauce. Use a rubber spatula to press the purée through a medium-mesh strainer into a large bowl; discard the bits of skin and seeds that don''t pass through. Repeat with the remaining chiles.
• Heat ½ cup lard (or vegetable oil) in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. When it's hot, add the chile purée; it should sizzle sharply. Stir and adjust the heat as necessary to keep the chile purée at a brisk simmer. Stir every couple of minutes until it has darkened and reduced to the consistency of tomato paste, about 30 minutes.
• Blend the tomatillo-nut mixture as smoothly as possible (you may need an extra cup or so of water to keep everything moving through the blades). Pass the purée through the medium-mesh strainer into a large bowl; then add to the pot. Stir to combine and simmer over medium-low to low heat, stirring every few minutes, until the mixture is considerably darker and thicker, about 30-45 minutes.
• Check the thickness by dragging a spoon or rubber spatula across the bottom of the pot. If the spoon leaves a deep trail, the mixture is thickened sufficiently.Add the broth to the mole and stir well. Partially cover the pot and briskly simmer the mixture over medium to medium-low heat, stirring every 20 minutes or so, until the flavors come together and mellow, about 2 hours. If the mole has thickened beyond the consistency of a cream soup, stir in a little water.
• Season with salt (1 heaping tablespoon), and taste. Then add the sugar, stir, and taste. If necessary, add more sugar a tablespoon at a time, tasting as you go, until the mole tastes mellow and balanced: you should be able to detect hints of flavor from all the ingredients. (Note: Mole can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.) For the Lacquered Chicken in Red Mole (not in video): Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small saucepan, mix together 1 cup of the mole with the agave nectar or corn syrup. Simmer over medium heat until glossy and reduced to 1 cup, about 30 minutes; set aside. Lay the chicken pieces in a single layer on rimmed baking sheets; season generously with salt. Bake until the chicken pieces are tender to the bone and the juices at the thickest part of the leg and thigh portions run clear, about 45 minutes.Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Pour off the juices that have collected around the chicken, then brush the pieces liberally with the mole mixture. Sprinkle with the reserved sesame seeds. Bake until a glaze forms on the chicken, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Then serve each portion of chicken with an additional ½ cup of the mole, garnished with watercress or flat-leaf parsley.

COLORADITO (RED OAXACAN MOLE)

Steps:

• Put the chicken into a pan with the onion, garlic, and herbs; cover with water and add salt to taste. Bring to a simmer and continue simmering until the chicken is just tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove the stems, if any, from the chiles, slit them open, and remove veins and seeds.
• Toast the chiles on a hot comale for a few seconds on each side, pressing them down until the inside flesh turns an opaque, tobacco color. Rinse the chiles in cold water, cover with hot water, and set aside to soak for about 15 minutes.
• Put the tomatoes into a blender jar and blend briefly. Heat 1 tablespoon of the lard and fry the sesame seeds for a few seconds until a deep golden brown. Transfer with a slotted spoon, draining them as much as possible, to the blender jar; add the oregano, cloves and allspice and blend until smooth, adding a little more of the water in which the chiles were soaking if necessary.
• Add more lard to the pan and heat; add the onion and garlic and fry until translucent.
• Add the cinnamon pieces and fry until the onions and garlic are lightly browned.
• Transfer with a slotted spoon to the blender jar. Add the plantain and bread to the pan and fry over low heat until a deep golden color; transfer to the blender jar. Adding more chile water if necessary, blend until you have a smooth puree. Gradually add the soaked chiles with more water as necessary and blend until smooth. When all the chiles have been blended, dip a spoon into the bottom of the blender jar and take out a sample of the sauce to see if the rather tough chile skins have been blended sufficiently. If not, add a little more water, stir well, and then blend for a few seconds more.
• Heat the remaining lard in a heavy pan or saute pan, add the blended sauce and chocolate, and cook over medium heat, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking, for about 15 minutes. Add 2 cups of the chicken broth and the chicken pieces, taste for salt, and cook for 15 minutes more. The sauce should be fairly thick and lightly cover the back of a wooden spoon.
• Serve with white rice and tortillas.

MIXIOTE DE BORREGO EN MOLE COLORADITO: LAMB SHANK IN AN OAXACAN RED MOLE SAUCE

Steps:

• To prepare the mole sauce: In a blender or food processor, blend tomatoes and garlic cloves, adding water if necessary. Strain and set aside. In a spice grinder pulverize the sesame seeds, peppercorns, oregano and cinnamon; set aside.
• Make a lengthwise cut on 1 side of each ancho and guajillo chile and remove seeds. Put chiles in a bowl and cover with boiling water, letting soak for 20 minutes or until soft. Place chiles and soaking water in a blender. Puree, strain and set aside. In a medium stockpot, heat 3 tablespoons of canola oil. Add the dried spices stirring continuously. Add the two purees and bring to a boil. Add the chocolate, sugar, and salt to taste; let simmer for about 20 minutes.
• To prepare the lamb shanks: Season the lamb shanks with salt and in a hot skillet sear shanks in oil on all sides. In a bowl, dip each shank in mole sauce, sprinkle with some of the vinegar, chopped onion and salt, then wrap in a banana leaf and then in aluminum foil. Place shanks in a roasting pan and bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bone. Place shank on a plate and top with additional warm mole sauce.

SIMPLE RED MOLE ENCHILADAS WITH SHREDDED CHICKEN

Steps:

• From Ancho seasoning to mole: In a medium-size (4-quart) pot (preferably a Dutch oven or Mexican cazuela), heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil or lard over medium. Add the almonds and cook, stirring regularly, until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the almonds to a blender or food processor. Add half of the onion to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until richly browned, about 10 minutes. Use the slotted spoon to scoop the onions in with the almonds, leaving behind as much oil as possible. (If needed, add a little more oil or lard to the pan, let heat, then continue.) Add the raisins, stir for a minute as they puff, then use the slotted spoon to scoop them in with the almonds.
• Roast the tomatoes on a baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler until blackened on one side, about 6 minutes, then flip them over and roast the other side. Cool, peel and add to the almond mixture in the blender, along with the cinnamon, chocolate and bread. Add 1 cup of the broth and blend to a smooth puree, scraping and stirring every few seconds.Return the pot to medium-high heat and, if necessary, add a little more oil or lard to coat the bottom lightly. When very hot, add the Ancho mixture and cook, stirring almost constantly, until darker and very thick, about 5 minutes. Add the pureed almond mixture and cook, stirring constantly for another few minutes, until very thick once again. Stir in the remaining 4 1/3 cups of the broth, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, over medium-low for 45 minutes. Taste and season with salt and sugar. (If you have never made mole before, season it until it's slightly sweet--the sugar balances the strong flavors.)
• Warming the tortillas: Set up a steamer (with this many tortillas, you'll need 2 vegetable steamers set up in saucepans or a big Chinese steamer--either choice with 1/2-inch of water under the steamer basket); heat to a boil. Wrap the tortillas in 2 stacks in heavy kitchen towels, lay in the steamer, and cover tightly. Boil 1 minute, turn off the heat and let stand without opening the steamer for 15 minutes.
• Finishing the enchiladas: Turn on the oven to the lowest setting and warm 6 to 9 plates in it. Toast the sesame seeds in a small skillet, stirring frequently, over medium heat until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. In a medium-size saucepan, combine the chicken with 1 1/2 cups of the mole and warm over medium heat. Bring the remaining mole to a simmer.
• When you're ready to serve, quickly make the enchiladas by scooping 2 generous tablespoons of chicken onto a tortilla, rolling it up and placing it on a warm dinner plate. Continue making enchiladas, arranging 2 or 3 per plate, then douse them liberally with the hot mole. Strew with the remaining sliced onion and sesame seeds.

MEXICAN CHICKEN RED MOLE (MOLE COLORADO DE POLLO)

Steps:

• Place chilies in large saucepan; add water to cover.
• Bring to a boil, remove from heat and let stand 1 hour.
• Cover chilies with a plate to submerge them.
• Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Heat a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat; add olive oil to coat bottom of pan.
• Add chicken, and lightly brown on all sides; then add 4 cups water and 1/4 onion.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.
• Grind sesame seeds, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, oregano, and thyme until pulverized.
• Set aside.
• Drain soaked ancho chilies and remove stems and seeds.
• Puree chilies in blender, adding a little water if needed.
• Pass through a sieve to strain out the peels.
• Without washing blender, puree onion and tomato.
• Remove chicken and strain broth into a bowl or pot.
• Add pureed chilies and tomato-onion mixture to pan; cook over medium heat for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add ground spice mixture, 1 1/2 cups of reserved broth, chocolate.
• sugar, and salt to taste.
• Add the meat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Add more broth as desired for consistency.
• Serve with soft tortillas and steamed rice, if you desire.

YUCATAN MARINATED CHICKEN SKEWERS WITH PEANUT-RED CHILE MOLE SAUCE

Steps:

• Whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, chile powder, and garlic in a non-reactive large baking dish. Add chicken cubes and turn to coat. Cover the chicken and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours or overnight.
• Prepare a charcoal or wood fire and let it burn down to embers, or preheat the broiler.
• Thread each piece of chicken onto a skewer. Season with salt and grill for about 3 minutes on each side, or until cooked through completely. Place each skewer in a Bibb lettuce leaf, drizzle with Peanut-Red Chile Mole Sauce, and garnish with cilantro and mint.
• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add the mango, peanuts, sesame seeds, ginger, allspice, and cloves and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the cinnamon, chiles, and stock, and season with salt and pepper; cook for 1 hour. Add the tortillas and cook for another hour.
• Remove cinnamon sticks and carefully ladle the hot mixture, in batches, into a blender* and blend until smooth. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a clean saucepan and cook until slightly thickened.

ROASTED CIDER-GLAZED CHICKEN WITH APPLE AND RED CHILE MOLE

Steps:

• For the apple and red chile mole: Heat the oil in a medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onions and cook until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the ancho powder, allspice, chiles de arbol, cloves, apples and cinnamon sticks and some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes. Stir in the chipotle puree, then the almonds, tortilla chips and raisins. Add the chicken stock, 1 cup of the apple cider, the tomatoes and cider vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and reduced, about 15 minutes.
• Stir in the brown sugar, honey and maple syrup and cook, stirring, another 10 minutes. Stir in the chocolate to melt. Remove the cinnamon sticks and discard. If the mixture seems too thick to blend easily, add a little extra cider. Transfer the mixture to a blender and, starting on very low speed, blend until smooth. Again, if the sauce seems too thick, thin it with a bit more cider. Return the sauce to the pot and cook very gently for another 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Cover to keep warm while you cook the chicken.
• For the roasted cider-glazed chicken: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan, add the chicken skin-side down and cook until the fat renders and the skin begins to turn golden brown. Turn, cook for a few minutes to start browning the second side, and then transfer to the oven.
• While the chicken cooks, whisk together the cider, honey and thyme in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and then remove from the heat.
• After the chicken has cooked for about 10 minutes, brush with the glaze. Continue to cook, brushing with glaze occasionally, until the chicken reaches 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 15 minutes total for the breasts, 20 to 25 minutes for the thighs and drumsticks.
• Ladle some of the mole onto a platter and top with the chicken pieces. Spoon some more mole over the top, sprinkle with scallions and serve.

LACQUERED CHICKEN IN CLASSIC RED MOLE - RICK BAYLESS

Steps:

• Preliminaries: On a rimmed baking sheet, roast the tomatillos 4 inches below a very hot broiler until splotchy black and thoroughly soft, about 5 minutes per side. Scrape into a large bowl. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the sesame seeds, stirringly nearly constantly, until golden, about 5 minutes. Scrape half of them in with the tomatillos. Reserve the remainder for sprinkling on the chicken.
• Brown other mole ingredients: Turn on an exhaust fan or open a kitchen door or window. In a very large soup pot (I typically use a 12-quart stainless steel stock pot), heat the lard or oil over medium. When quite hot, fry the chiles, three or four pieces at a time, flipping them nearly constantly with tongs until their interior side has changed to a lighter color, about 20 or 30 seconds total frying time. Don't toast them so darkly that they begin to smoke-that would make the mole bitter. As they're done, remove them to a large bowl, being careful to drain as much fat as possible back into the pot. Cover the toasted chiles with hot tap water and let rehydrate 30 minutes, stirring frequently to insure even soaking.
• Remove any stray chile seeds left in the fat. With the pot still over medium heat, fry the garlic and almonds, stirring regularly, until browned (the garlic should be soft), about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove to the tomatillo bowl, draining as much fat as possible back into the pot.
• Add the raisins to the hot pot. Stir for 20 or 30 seconds, until they've puffed and browned slightly. Scoop them out, draining as much fat as possible back into the pot, and add to the tomatillos. Set the pan aside off the heat.
• To the tomatillo mixture, add the cinnamon, black pepper, anise, cloves, bread and chocolate. Add 2 cups water and stir to combine.
• Blend, strain, cook: Into a large measuring cup, tip off the chiles' soaking liquid. Taste the liquid: if it's not bitter, discard all abut 6 cups of the liquid. (if you're short, add water to make up the shortfall). If bitter, pour it out and measure 6 cups water. Scoop half of the chiles into a blender jar, pour in half of the soaking liquid (or water) and blend to a smooth puree. Press through a medium-mesh strainer into a large bowl; discard the bits of skin and seeds that don't pass through the strainer. Repeat with the remaining chiles.
• Return the soup pot to medium heat. When quite hot, pour in the chile puree-it should sizzle sharply and, if the pan is sufficiently hot, the mixture should never stop boiling. Stir every couple of minutes until the chile puree has darkened and reduced to the consistency of tomato paste, about a half hour. (I find it useful to cover the pot with an inexpensive spatter screen to catch any spattering chile.).
• In two batches, blend the tomatillo mixture as smoothly as possible (you may need an extra 1/2 cup water to keep everything moving through the blades), then strain it in to the large bowl that contained the chiles. When the chile paste has reduced, add the tomatillo mixture to the pot and cook, stirring every few minutes until considerably darker and thicker, 15 to 20 minutes. (Again, a spatter screen saves a lot of cleanup.).
• Simmer: Add the broth to the pot and briskly simmer the mixture over medium to medium-low heat for about 2 hours for all the flavors to come together and mellow. If the mole has thickened beyond the consistency of a cream soup, stir in a little water. Taste and season with salt (usually about 4 teaspoons) and the sugar.
• You're now ready to make Lacquered Chicken or you can cool, cover and refrigerate until you're ready to use. When you're ready to proceed, rewarm the mole.
• Make the chicken: Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a small (2-quart) saucepan, mix together 1 cup of the mole with the agave nectar or corn syrup. Simmer over medium heat until glossy and reduced to 1 cup, about a half hour. On rimmed baking sheets, lay out the chicken in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 45 minutes (the chicken should be tender to the bone at this point-leg-and-thigh portions should register 165 degrees at the thickest part on an instant-read thermometer).
• Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Tip off the juices that have collected around the chicken, then brush the pieces liberally with the glossy mole mixture. Sprinkle with the reserved sesame seeds. Bake for 10 minutes to set the glaze.
• Remove from the oven, let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes, then slide into a very low oven to keep warm until serving time-preferably no longer than 30 minutes.
• Serve each portion of chicken with about 1/2 cup of warm mole, decorated with watercress or flat-leaf parsley and sprinkled with any left over sesame seeds.

CARNITAS WITH ORZO AND PEPPERS IN RED MOLE SAUCE

Steps:

• Place pork in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bake at 325° until tender, about 1-1/2 hours. Remove pork from oven. Increase oven setting to 350°., Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside. In a large skillet, saute peppers and onion in oil until crisp-tender. In a greased 13x9-in. baking pan, combine the orzo, peppers and onion. , In a small saucepan, whisk the chicken broth, mole sauce, tomato paste and remaining salt. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Pour over orzo and vegetables. Stir in pork; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake until heated through, 35-40 minutes. Uncover; broil 3-4 in. from the heat until cheese is golden brown, 4-5 minutes. If desired, top with chopped cilantro and serve with sour cream. , FREEZE OPTION: Cool unbaked casserole; cover and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake casserole as directed, increasing time as necessary to heat through.

FISH FOR CRISH: RED "MOLE" SWORDFISH STEAKS WITH PICKLED SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Pull the swordfish out of the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature while you make the shallots and the sauce.
• For the pickled shallots: Separate the shallots into little rings. Put them in a small saucepan, add the rice vinegar and 1/4 cup of water, and set over medium heat making sure the shallots are covered by the liquid. Bring to a boil. Once it's bubbling, turn the heat off and set aside until you're ready to serve. The pickling will bring out a natural pink hue in the shallots; beautiful!
• For the "mole": Grind the mustard seeds and cumin seeds to a fine powder in a mortar and pestle. Pour into a bowl with the ginger, ancho chile powder, rice vinegar, mirin, honey, sriracha and honey. Whisk together until smooth. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
• Set a large cast-iron or other heavy-bottomed, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until lightly smoking.
• Sprinkle the swordfish with salt. Add the swordfish to the skillet. Cook until browned, about 3 minutes on one side. Quickly, flip the steaks and smear with a little "mole". Put the pan in the oven and cook the fish until a thermometer inserted into the middle of the fish registers 125 degrees F, 5 to 7 minutes.
• While the fish is cooking in the oven, drain the shallots and place in a small bowl. Rip the cilantro with your hands into the bowl, then drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss together and taste for seasoning.
• When the fish is cooked (remember that it will keep cooking even when it's out of the oven) remove to a platter. Add the butter to the skillet, scraping up any caramelized bits stuck on the bottom of the skillet. Stir in the remaining "mole" and cook until hot and bubbly. Pour over the swordfish steaks. Top with a handful of the pickled shallots and serve immediately!

RED MOLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Slice the tomatoes crosswise in half. Using a small spoon or your fingers, scrape out the seeds. Place the tomatoes cut side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (this keeps the acidic tomatoes from reacting with the pan) and roast for about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly, then remove and discard the skins and cores. Reserve.
• Meanwhile, also roast the peanuts on a baking sheet for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely grind in a food processor. Set aside.
• Toast the anchos in a small skillet over medium heat. Soak in hot water to soften, about 20 minutes. Drain, and remove the seeds and stems. Reserve.
• Heat the canola oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Add the plantain slices and sauté until well browned and caramelized. Remove from the skillet and drain on paper towels.
• In a dry skillet, toast the annatto, allspice, cloves, and peppercorns until fragrant. Let cool, then combine with the canela in a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder.
• In a blender, puree the anchos and chipotles until smooth. Add the plantains, ground spices, and tomatoes and puree. Reserve.
• Pour the garlic oil into a medium pot and heat over medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot, add the puree and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the peanuts and simmer for another 2 minutes. Add the chocolate and let it melt. Stir in the vinegar and chicken stock and cook for another 5 minutes. Season with salt. Refrigerated, this keeps for 1 month.

STUFFED RED PEPPERS WITH MOLE SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut red peppers in half lengthwise and broil for 7-10 minutes until skin turns black. Let cool and then remove outer skins. Meanwhile, prepare rice via package directions. Preheat oven to 400. Prepare Mole sauce to package direction. (Heat on stove and stir in vegetarian broth). Once rice is done, mix with pine nuts and raisins. Put peppers in a square or rectangle casserole dish and fill with rice mixture. Cover with Mole sauce and heat throroughly in oven for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle cheese on top of mole sauce and serve.

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH RED MOLE SAUCE

Steps:

• Put the chicken in the pan, then pour in 300ml cold water. Bring to the boil, then reduce down to a simmer and cook for 20 mins, turning once, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from water (saving the liquid) and when it's cool enough to handle, shred with your fingers or a fork.
• Halve the chillies, pull out the seeds and discard. Place in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave to soak for 20 mins until softened, then discard the water, roughly chop the chillies then put into a blender.
• Heat a frying pan and tip in the tomato. Cook for 5 mins, until the tomato skins start to blister and turn brown. Add to the blender. Heat the oil or lard in the same frying pan and cook the onion, garlic and almonds for 5 mins. Stir in the raisins, oregano, cumin and cinnamon, then cook 2 mins more until the onion is softened, the almonds are golden and the raisins have puffed up. Tip into the blender with 100ml of the chicken poaching liquid and give it a good whizz.
• Pour the mixture back into the pan, stir in 350ml of the poaching liquid and chocolate and let it simmer for 20 mins. To serve, soften the tortillas in a microwave for 30 secs then pile the chicken on top, spoon over the sauce and roll up. Serve scattered with coriander leaves, limes and more chopped almonds.

GRILL-ROASTED RACK OF LAMB IN RED MOLE

Steps:

• Cut the racks of lamb in half so that you have four 3- or 4-boned sections of meat.
• Place on a platter or in a baking dish and cover the meat with 1 1/2 cups of the mole (try to avoid wasting the mole on the bones). Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, and for as long as overnight. Refrigerate the remaining mole for when you serve the dish.
• Prepare a medium fire in a grill. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.
• Brush off any excess marinade from the lamb. Oil the grill rack, lay the racks of lamb on it, and grill, turning once or twice, until nicely browned on all sides. Be mindful that the fat on the lamb can drip and cause the flames to flare; if this happens, simply turn the lamb over or move it away from the hottest flames.
• Transfer the meat to a small roasting pan and put it in the oven. Check it after 10 minutes, and discard any fat that may have accumulated in the bottom of the pan. Cook the lamb until it has reached the desired doneness. In my opinion, lamb from the rack is best served medium-rare. (When it is rare, the texture can be too springy; when medium-well to well-done, it often will be disagreeably dry.) An internal temperature of 130 degrees will be right - especially when you take into account that the temperature will rise another few degrees once it comes out of the oven. Allow the lamb to rest for a few minutes.
• Meanwhile, warm the reserved mole in a small saucepan.
• Cut the lamb into chops, or serve the half-racks as they are. Offer the mole on the side, with salt and pepper.
• Recommended wine: A Zinfandel from Sonoma (but not a high-alcohol one) will offer restraint to complement the gentle gaminess of the lamb and the power of the red mole.

CARNITAS WITH ORZO AND PEPPERS IN RED MOLE SAUCE

Steps:

• Place pork in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bake at 325° until tender, about 1-1/2 hours. Remove pork from oven. Increase oven setting to 350°., Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside. In a large skillet, saute peppers and onion in oil until crisp-tender. In a greased 13x9-in. baking pan, combine the orzo, peppers and onion. , In a small saucepan, whisk the chicken broth, mole sauce, tomato paste and remaining salt. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Pour over orzo and vegetables. Stir in pork; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake until heated through, 35-40 minutes. Uncover; broil 3-4 in. from the heat until cheese is golden brown, 4-5 minutes. If desired, top with chopped cilantro and serve with sour cream. , FREEZE OPTION: Cool unbaked casserole; cover and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake casserole as directed, increasing time as necessary to heat through.

SIMPLE RED MOLE

Steps:

• Toast chiles. Cover with hot tap water and soak for 30 minutes, then discard the soaking liquid. Brown the vegetables and meat. Scoop 2 tablespoons of the lard or oil in a large (8-quart) Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, 6 or 7 minutes. Add the garlic and fry until the onion is nicely browned, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer the onions and garlic to a blender jar, leaving as much fat as possible in the pot. Raise the heat to medium-high and add more fat, if needed, to coat the pot. Dry the pork on paper towels, then brown it in an uncrowded single layer, 2 to 3 minutes per side; remove to a plate, draining well. Dry the chicken breasts and cut each one into three pieces. Brown them for 2 to 3 minutes per side, add to the pork and set the pot aside. Make the sauce. Add the rehydrated chiles to the blender. Pulverize the spices in a mortar or spice grinder and add to the chiles, along with the bread and 1 cup of water. Blend to a smooth puree, then strain through a medium-mesh strainer into a large bowl. If necessary, add a little lard or oil to coat the pot, then set over medium-high heat. When quite hot, add the puree all at once and fry, stirring constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes until darkened and thick, dislodging any bits that earlier may have stuck to the pan. Stir in 2 cups of water, salt (about 2 teaspoons), vinegar and browned pork. Partially cover and simmer over medium-low for 45 minutes to an hour, until the pork is tender. Add the chicken and pineapple, cover and simmer 13 minutes. While the chicken is cooking, heat a tablespoon of lard or oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Add the plantains and fry until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add to the manchamanteles. Stir in the sugar (usually about 2 or 3 tablespoons). Thin with a little water if the sauce has thickened past a medium consistency.

CHICKEN IN OAXACAN RED MOLE

Steps:

• 1. Prepare the mole several hours or a day ahead, for best flavor. Then trim excess fat and loose skin from the chicken. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until it shimmers. Rub the chicken with oregano and season with salt. Place the chicken, skin-side down, and cook until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn and cook the second side minutes until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and cook the chicken until no longer pink inside, about 20 minutes. 2. Reheat the mole sauce until simmering. Place 1 chicken quarter on each of 4 plates. Cover each serving equally with sauce letting it pool onto the plate. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and garnish with a sprig of cilantro. Serve with tortillas.From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

TRADITIONAL RED MOLE CHICKEN WITH SAFFRON RICE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
• For the Mole: Roast the peanuts on a baking sheet for 10 to 12 minutes. In a small skillet, toast the sesame seeds for a couple of minutes until brown. Let cool, then finely grind in a food processor. Set both aside.
• Toast the anchos in a small skillet over medium heat. Soak in hot water to soften, about 20 minutes. Drain and remove the seeds and stems.
• In a blender, puree the anchos until smooth. Add the ground spices and puree.
• Pour the oil into a medium pot and heat over medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot, add the puree and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the peanuts and sesame seeds and simmer for another 2 minutes. Add the chocolate and let it melt. Stir in the vinegar and cook for another 5 minutes. Season with salt. Set aside.
• For the rice: Wash the rice and put it into a rice cooker or pan with enough water to stretch from the tip of your finger to the first knuckle on your index finger (that's a trick). Sprinkle in the saffron, cover and cook until the rice is cooked and all the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
• For the chicken: In a large skillet, saute the onion in the oil. When the onion becomes transparent, add the chicken and cook until white on all sides. Add the mole and chicken stock and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Serve over the saffron rice with corn tortillas, glazed carrots and calabacitas.
• Combine corn, squash, chiles and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the squash can be pierced with a fork. Remove from heat, add the butter and salt. Stir and serve.
• Cut the carrots into sticks. Melt the butter and sugar in a large skillet. Add the carrots and cook over medium heat until the carrots are glazed and a little browned.