Chocolate is still dancing through my thoughts and tickling my taste buds after attending The 2009 Chocolate Show in New York City this past weekend. I look forward to this every year… it’s my chance to sample new chocolate concoctions and learn something new to add to my recipe box. Although not as big as in years past (perhaps the economy had an impact), I did not walk away empty-handed and my tummy was sufficiently chocolified.
Inspired by the chocolate gods, I decided I would attempt a dish I’ve never made before (and one I did not like the first and only time I tried it) – Chicken with Mole Sauce.
I love Mexican, Tex-Mex and Southwestern foods but mole was something that did not grab me. Perhaps it was the dish I didn’t like or I my palate wasn’t ready to appreciate the fusion of various spices. I searched the internet and found there are many different mole sauces depending on the region of Mexico and the chef. Since I had chocolate on the brain, that was the ingredient I wanted to make sure was in the recipe. The second requirement – I didn’t want anything that would take all day or require three different chili peppers and 30 ingredients.
I found two different recipes with different techniques and decided to take a little from each to come up with my own… which when you think of it, is rather cocky since I don’t really know what an excellent mole sauce tastes like and my one and only experience with it was a bust.
I compared recipes for “Chicken Mole” from the Casual Kitchen and “Pork Tenderloin in Spicy Mole Sauce” from Kate in the Kitchen. Both recipes looked rather simple to make and fit my criteria. I would have to adjust the recipe to keep it mild, as the man in my life cannot handle “spicy.”
Ole’ for Chicken Mole
Ole' for Chicken Mole!
Spice mix:
1 Tablespoon ground mild New Mexico Chili powder (Chili Molido)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
note: for more “heat”, add ground cayenne pepper. Start small (1/4 teaspoon). You can always add more…
1 lb chicken breast cut into chunks or strips (rinsed and dried)
Paprika, sea salt and coarse ground black pepper for seasoning
2 – 4 Tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped finely
3 – 4 garlic cloves minced
1 pinch of kosher salt
1 28 oz can peeled whole tomatoes
1 oz 72% chocolate
Directions:
1) Season chicken with paprika, sea salt and ground black pepper. Heat 2 – 3 tablespoons of olive on high heat in a large pot. Add chicken and sear at high heat. Remove and set chicken aside.
2) Reduce heat to medium-high and sauté onion and garlic with pinch of kosher salt until transluscent. Add spice mix into the olive oil and stir with a wooden spoon. Add more oil (if needed) until all of the spice mix is moistened in the oil. Heat spices until they are blackened and begin smoking, about 6-7 minutes or more.
heating the chili spice mix
3) Lower heat to low and add chocolate. As the chocolate melts, stir it into the blackened spices with spoon. When the chocolate is fully melted, add canned tomatoes with juices. Bring to a gentle boil then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Puree with stick blender until smooth. Add the cooked chicken into the sauce and simmer for 5 more minutes.
chicken simmering in mole sauce
Serve over rice.
