Best Tex Mex Chicken Or Turkey Mole Recipes

TEX-MEX MOLE

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chiles, chocolate, sesame seeds, peanut butter, sugar, crackers, and chicken broth. Simmer for 5 minutes.
• Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Salt to taste. If the mole has any grittiness, return it to the blender and puree again. Serve warm or cover and store in refrigerator for up to a week.

TURKEY MOLE

Steps:

• Make the turkey: Put the turkey, onion, celery, cilantro sprigs, cloves, allspice, star anise, peppercorns and 1 teaspoon salt in a large pot; add cold water to cover. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until very tender, about 1 hour, 30 minutes. Remove the turkey with tongs and transfer to a plate to cool slightly. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup or bowl. You should have about 8 cups broth; if you have more, simmer until reduced to 8 cups. Skim the fat off the surface. Remove the turkey skin; refrigerate the meat until ready to use. (The turkey and broth can be made 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate.)
• Make the mole: Preheat the broiler. Put the tomatillos, tomatoes, garlic and onion on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil, turning, until charred, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Remove the skins from the tomatoes and garlic.
• Heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the ancho and pasilla chiles in batches, turning, until softened, 30 to 45 seconds; transfer to a bowl. Fry the tortilla in the hot oil, turning, until browned, 4 minutes; add to the bowl with the chiles. Cover with water and soak 30 minutes, then drain. Add the chiles and tortilla to the bowl with the tomatillo mixture and set aside.
• Meanwhile, discard the oil in the skillet and wipe clean. Heat another 1/4 cup vegetable oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the almonds and fry, stirring, until golden, 3 minutes. Add the raisins and stir until plump, 30 seconds; transfer to a bowl using a slotted spoon. Add the pepitas and fry, stirring, until they begin to pop, 2 minutes; transfer to the bowl with the almonds.
• Discard the oil in the skillet and wipe clean. Heat the skillet over medium heat. Add the sesame seeds and toast, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes; transfer to a clean bowl to cool. Add 1 heaping tablespoon of the ancho chile seeds, the allspice, peppercorns, cloves, star anise and cinnamon stick to the skillet and toast, stirring, 2 minutes; transfer to the bowl with the sesame seeds and let cool. Grind the sesame-spice mixture in a spice grinder to make a fine powder.
• Put the fried almonds, raisins, pepitas, sesame-spice powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 2 cups of the reserved turkey broth in a blender and blend until smooth; transfer to a bowl. Working in batches, blend the broiled vegetables, fried chiles and tortilla, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 cups turkey broth until smooth.
• Heat the remaining 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pureed chile mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes (be careful-the mixture will spatter). Stir in the ground almond mixture and 2 cups turkey broth; bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Stir in the chocolate until melted. Add the turkey thighs and simmer until heated through, about 30 minutes. The mole should be the consistency of gravy; thin with more broth, if necessary. Season with salt. Serve with rice and tortillas.

CHICKEN MOLE

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add chicken to pot; sauté until lightly browned, adding more oil by tablespoonfuls as needed, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to large bowl.
• Return chicken and any juices to pot. Add broth and orange juice; bring just to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until chicken is tender and just cooked through, about 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until golden brown, about 18 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add almonds, garlic, cumin, and coriander. Sautéuntil nuts and garlic begin to color, about 2 minutes. Add chiles and stir until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes.
• Using tongs, transfer chicken to large bowl. Pour chicken cooking liquid into saucepan with onion mixture (reserve pot). Add raisins, orange peel, and oregano to saucepan. Cover and simmer until chiles are very soft, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat; add chocolate. Let stand until chocolate melts and sauce mixture cools slightly, about 15 minutes.
• Working in small batches, transfer sauce mixture to blender and puree until smooth; return to reserved pot. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Coarsely shred chicken and return to sauce; stir to coat. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Chill until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm over low heat before serving.
• Transfer chicken mole to bowl. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with warm tortillas.

MALENA'S TEX-MEX MOLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Remove the stems, seeds and veins from the ancho and guajillo chiles. In a pan over medium-high heat, add 3 tablespoons of the oil and sauté the chiles for about 20 seconds on both sides. Transfer them to a pot with 3 quarts of very hot water. Sauté the tomatoes, tomatillo and garlic in the same pan until lightly roasted and fragrant, about 1 minute for the garlic and 2 to 3 minutes for the tomatoes and tomatillo; add them to the water with the chiles. Allow them to steep while you prepare the other ingredients, at least 30 minutes.
• Roast the pecans on a baking sheet for about 5 minutes. Allow them to cool, then process to a fine consistency in a food processor; set aside.
• Toast the bolillo in the oven directly on the rack until toasted and golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool, then tear into large pieces and process in a food processor to make fine breadcrumbs; set aside (there should be about 3/4 cup of breadcrumbs).
• Toast the sesame seeds in a small pan over medium heat, stirring, until just beginning to turn light brown, about 3 minutes. Grind in a coffee or spice grinder until finely ground; set aside.
• In an 8-quart pot, add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil and set over medium heat.
• Drain the water from the chiles, tomatoes and garlic and begin blending them in a blender on high speed in batches. Add 1 cup of chicken broth to each batch, then pour into the 8-quart pot. Raise the heat to medium high and start adding the other ingredients. First, add the peanut butter and stir until it is well blended into the mixture. Next, add the ground sesame seeds and stir until you work out any lumps that may be visible in the sauce. Do the same with the finely ground pecans and chocolate tablet. Add the breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon black pepper, cumin, cocoa, sugar, chopped chocolate and bouillon. Cook, stirring and working out any lumps that may be visible in the sauce. If you think the sauce is too thick, add another cup of broth. Bring down the heat to medium low while you start to sear the chicken.
• Heat a griddle (the type you use for pancakes) or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and sear on the griddle for 6 to 8 minutes per side.
• Add the chicken to the sauce and allow to simmer until the chicken is very tender and the mole is thickened, 45 to 60 minutes. Taste occasionally for more salt or sweetness to your liking.
• I like to accompany my mole with homemade Tex-Mex rice and bolillos. Enjoy. Buen provecho!

TEX MEX CHICKEN OR TURKEY MOLE

Steps:

• Stew a chicken in salted water to cover until tender (1 1/2 hours).
• Remove chicken from broth.
• Reserve broth.
• Debone and remove skin from chicken.
• Tear into pieces with a fork (don't dice with a knife).
• In a large saucepan, over low heat, warm mole sauce from jar until almost boiling.
• Add broth, stir to make a perfectly smooth sauce, then simmer 20 minutes.
• Add tomato sauce, peanut butter, chocolate, and sugar.
• Cook and stir 20 minutes. Salt to taste.