Christmas Eve-Eve Mole Chicken

Mole Chicken is the perfect choice for your "Christmas-Eve-Eve" dinner — a festive, comforting meal that brings the depth and complexity of Mexican flavors to your holiday table. This savory dish is worth all the fuss. Savor tender chicken drenched in a velvety mole sauce, made from a variety of aromatic chiles, nuts, and spices, and balanced with a touch of chocolate and sweetness. And let us be the first to say, it pairs perfectly with the Day 23 Advent Wine. 

 Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

• 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces (or 4-5 chicken leg quarters, bone-in, skin-on)
• 8 cups water
• ¼ onion, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon (powder or paste)

For the Mole Sauce:

• 6 dried pasilla chiles
• 6 dried mulato chiles or guajillo chilies
• 5 dried ancho chiles
• ½ cup sesame seeds (divided)
• ¼ cup raw almonds
• ¼ cup raw shelled peanuts
• ¼ cup raisins
• ½ cup animal crackers
• 1 corn tortilla
• 2 slices white bread (French bread or small bolillo roll, cut in half)
• ½ white onion, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic
• 5 whole cloves
• 5 whole black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
• ¼ teaspoon whole aniseed
• ¼ - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 ripe plantain (or banana), peeled, sliced into ½-inch slices
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 ½ teaspoons chicken bouillon paste
• Salt to taste
• 2 ounces chopped Mexican chocolate (or semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate)
• 1-4 tablespoons brown sugar (to taste)
• Reserved broth from the cooked chicken
• 2 tablespoons oil or lard
• Oil for frying

Instructions

For the Chicken:

1. Add chicken, garlic, onion, bay leaves, chicken bouillon, salt, oregano, and water to a large pot. Bring to a low boil and cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is just cooked through.
2. Remove chicken from the pot and set aside (reserve the broth). Keep the chicken warm by covering it.

For the Mole Sauce:

1. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the sesame seeds, stirring constantly until golden brown. Set aside.
2. Using scissors, cut the dried chiles open, remove the veins and seeds.
3. Add a few tablespoons of oil to the skillet and heat over medium. In a separate large saucepan, add 2 cups of water and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
4. Working in batches, fry each type of chile for a few seconds on both sides in the skillet. Be careful not to burn them. After frying, transfer the chiles to the saucepan with water.
5. Continue frying the remaining ingredients, one at a time, adding oil as necessary: peanuts (45 seconds), almonds, raisins, animal crackers, corn tortilla, and bread slices. Press each into the saucepan and stir.
6. In the same skillet, heat more oil and fry the onion for 1-2 minutes. Add garlic and fry for a few more seconds, then transfer to the saucepan.
7. Fry the sliced plantain in the hot oil on both sides, then add to the pot.
8. Reduce the heat to medium and fry the peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, aniseed, and red pepper flakes in the skillet for a few seconds, then add to the pot with the other ingredients.
9. Stir in 1 teaspoon of oregano, ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1 ½ teaspoons of chicken bouillon paste to the pot.
10. Add the chopped chocolate to a small bowl and pour in some of the reserved chicken broth to help it melt. Set aside.
11. In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil or lard over medium heat, then remove from the heat and set aside.
12. Working in batches, transfer everything from the saucepan to a blender, adding enough of the reserved chicken broth to allow the mixture to blend smoothly. For each batch, add about ¼ cup of the reserved toasted sesame seeds. Blend until smooth, adding more broth as needed.
13. Pour the sauce through a fine mesh strainer into the pot with the melted lard, discarding the solids.
14. Stir in the melted chocolate mixture and adjust the seasoning with brown sugar and salt to taste. Start with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and adjust to your preference.
15. Cook the mole sauce over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes to 1 hour, allowing the flavors to meld and the sauce to thicken. If the sauce becomes too thick, add more reserved chicken broth to reach the desired consistency.

Serving:

1. Place the cooked chicken pieces on a plate and ladle a generous amount of mole sauce over the top.
2. Garnish with extra toasted sesame seeds.
3. Serve with Mexican rice and warm corn tortillas on the side for a complete meal.

Notes

Make Ahead Instructions: Mole sauce can be prepared up to 1 week in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stove, adding additional chicken stock if necessary to achieve the desired consistency.
Freezing Instructions: Mole sauce can be frozen for up to 4 months. Once cooled, transfer the sauce to a freezer-safe container. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat on the stove with more chicken stock as needed.