OT Has anyone ever made chicken mole at home?

I know it's one of those things you either love or hate, but I tried it at a Mexican restaurant last year and absolutely LOVED it! It was so delicious. . sort of a very smoky gravy type sauce. Mmmmm.

Lately I've been kinda craving it (dunno why! ) and I wouldn't mind having a go at making it myself. Bit scared of all the recipes I Google though lol... I want it to taste fairly close to what I had.

If anyone has a recipe to share? Bonus!

chicken mole ( pronounced mo lay) is yum. Get the Ibarra mexican chocolate for this as it is just perfect for the dish.

Oooooh, yummy ! I know recipes for Chicken Mole usually look a bit daunting, but the end result is well worth the effort. It's no more trouble than making a curry. Why not give it a try and let us know how it turns out ?

2 onions
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large (size 16) corn-fed chicken, jointed into 8-10 pieces
2 sprigs coriander (including roots), plus extra leaves, chopped, to garnish
2 dried red chillies
410g canned chopped tomatoes
4 tbs (1/3 cup) toasted sesame seeds, plus extra to garnish
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground allspice
2 pieces day-old bread, crusts discarded, chopped
2 tbs olive oil
1 bay leaf
25g Mexican chocolate

Roughly chop 1 onion and place in a casserole dish with the garlic, chicken pieces and coriander, then add enough water to cover chicken. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and skim any scum from surface. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove the chicken and set aside. Strain liquid and reserve.

Remove 1/2 cup (125ml) of the cooking liquid and pour it over the dried chillies. Allow to soak for 30 minutes, then place the tomatoes, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin, cloves, allspice, bread, chillies and their soaking liquid in a blender and process until smooth.

Finely chop the remaining onion. Heat the oil in a saucepan and cook onion for 1-2 minutes over low heat until softened, then add the blended spice mixture and bay leaf. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the chocolate and chicken. Add enough of the reserved poaching liquid to just cover chicken, and simmer, uncovered, for a further 25 minutes.

Remove the chicken, cover loosely with foil to keep warm, then reduce the sauce until it is thick enough to be a coating consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Coat the chicken in the sauce, and garnish with the extra sesame seeds and chopped coriander leaves. Serve with rice.

This is the one I use and I use the Ibarra Mexican chocolate as it has the cinnamon in it and gives you the authentic taste for your mole.

Let me know what you think.

Can you remember the restaurant you went to? it would be nice to try. I understand there is a great Mexican restaurant in Wellington, so I must find out if they do mole.

Oh thank you cookessentials! Have saved that to Word and will give it a go sometime. . I've got most of those ingredients but for the chillies and the chocolate! Where can you purchase mexican chocolate? Or will 70% or thereabouts solid dark chocolate from the supermarket do?

As for the restaurant, it was at Flying Burrito Brothers, in CHCH. Nice food there... not fantastic, just nice. But last time (have been there a few times now), I ordered the mole for something different and the waitress brought out some sauce for me to try, as she said it was one of those things you either love or hate. LOVED it. So that's definitely my meal next time I go back.

I can say they make fantastic margaritas too LOL.

You are welcome. I have heard of them and I wonder if they are also In Wellington? As for the choc, try Trademe. it is amazing the difference a good choclate will make to the dish and you want something that gives you the flavour without overpowering the dish.