Earlier this summer when I was in Puebla en route to Oaxaca, we stopped in to see the amazing Lordes and her clay pots. Mexicans tend to be gracious and Lordes is no exception so were immediately offered food, in this case, her version of Mole Poblano.
I’m going to confess something that may shock you. Sit down. Pour yourself a stiff one. I don’t love this dish. I like it, especially when I’m in Puebla, but I can think of a dozen moles I prefer, especially the ones from Oaxaca. So I was happy to accept her gracious hospitality but I wasn’t prepared for what was served. It was one of the best I’ve ever had.
Lordes said she didn’t care for all the fruit and excess of traditional mole Poblano and after eating her version, I agreed. In coming home, I checked a book I have called Recetario mixteco poblano (which would describe Lordes’ family) and there was the following recipe, which sounded much like her version. This isn’t a great set of instructions but you get the idea. If you make this before I get a chance to, please let us know your results in the “Comments” section”
The following version doesn’t have chocolate but I’m almost positive that the version Lordes made did. I might sub some Mexican chocolate for the sugar in the recipe.
Mole Poblano
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
1/2 kilo chile guajillo
1/4 chile ancho (I assume they mean kilo here and for all that follows)
1/4 chile mulato
100 grams sesame seeds
1 large head of garlic
100 grams canela (cinnamon)
1/4 sugar
1/4 tomatillos
1 kilo lard (manteca)
1. Butcher the chicken and cook it. (I’ll assume to poach it in water or broth)
2. Toast the chiles, cinnamon, garlic, sesame seeds wet grind them with some chicken broth.
3. Boil the tomatillos and blend with some water.
4. Heat the manteca and fry the mole with the tomatillo. Little by little, add the sugar, stirring constantly so as not to burn.
Serve by bathing the chicken pieces in the mole and decorate with some of sesame seeds.
