Category: Mains

Place chicken into a large cooking pot and pour in the water; cover chicken by approximately 1 inch.

Bring water and chicken to a boil over high heat; lower heat and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until no longer pink inside.

Cut tops off dried chiles and remove seeds and veins. Lightly fry chiles in lard or oil to ensure they do not taste bitter.

Place a large pot over medium-high heat. Clay pots give the best flavor. Add lard or cooking oil and allow to melt.

Add dried chilies to the pot in batches.

Cook chiles over medium heat for about one minute, drain and reserve for later.

Add fried chiles to blender or food processor.

Set blender on puree and blend chiles into a paste; pressing down on chiles periodically to ensure it becomes smooth.

Chile paste should be a deep red colour and very smooth.

Heat the same large pot over medium-high heat and add another tablespoon of lard.

Once melted/heated, lower heat to medium and pour the almonds into the pot, followed by the peanuts and pumpkin seeds.

Stir constantly to evenly toast the nuts and seeds.

Once seeds have darkened (approximately 2 minutes), use a strainer to drain the nuts and seeds. You’ll be left with the juices that the nuts and seeds have released in the pot.

Pour the drained nuts and seeds into a bowl and set aside.

Add bread to the pot and fry for one minute.

Stir constantly while cooking the bread.

Once the bread has turned a dark brown, remove from the pot with tongs or a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add three peeled garlic cloves to the pot.

Once garlic has darkened, drain and remove from the pot and set aside.

Add the cinnamon stick to the same pot.

Once the stick has darkened, remove and set aside.

Add the reasons to the pot and fry for 30 seconds or until they become plump.

Drain raisins in a strainer and set aside.

Add the flour tortilla to the liquid in the pot.

Heat for 10 seconds, flip and heat another 10 seconds.

Remove tortilla with tongs, allow excess liquid to drip, set aside.

Carefully pour the liquid from the pot into a bowl and set aside.

Add the sesame seeds to the pot and toast for 20 seconds, constantly stirring.

Add the peppercorns, cloves and coriander seeds.

Cook, stirring constantly, until the seeds and spices have darkened.

Transfer toasted seeds and spices to the blender.

Break up the fried tortilla and add to blender.

Add toasted bread, cooked raisins, fried cinnamon stick and garlic cloves.

Sprinkle in the salt, add in half of the toasted nuts and seeds.

Puree ingredients, adding chicken broth as needed to make into a paste.

Paste should be a deep reddish brown colour.

Pour paste into a bowl and set aside.

Add remaining toasted nuts and seeds to the blender.

Blend nuts and seeds, pressing down to ensure a smooth paste.

Transfer the paste to a large bowl and set aside.

Cut the onion into slices and heat 1/2 tablespoon of lard in pot.

Once lard melts, add sliced onions.

Saute onions until golden brown and transfer to the blender. Blend until smooth.

Pour the second batch of seed and nut paste into your pot.

Pour in the half of the first batch of mole paste and stir to combine.

Break up the tablet of Mexican chocolate, add to the pot and stir to combine.

Add chicken bouillon cubes and stir until cubes melt.

Add the other half of the mole paste and stir, pouring in chicken stock until you have reached your desired consistency. Your mole should be medium consistency; not too thick, not too runny.

Sprinkle in more salt, simmer mole sauce over medium heat until reduced by approximately one inch.

Add cooked chicken to the pot with mole sauce and turn to cover with sauce.

Place a piece of chicken on the plate, spoon over more sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Serve with flour tortillas and enjoy!