[CH] mex -19- Mole Manchamanteles

Jim Weller (arcticchef@theedge.ca)
Wed, 05 May 2004 23:28:38 -0600

 
MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
 
      Title: Mole Manchamanteles
 Categories: Chicken, Chilies, Mexican
      Yield: 10 Servings
 
           STOCK:
      2    Chickens; (4 lb ea)
      2    Onions
      4    Celery stalks; chopped
      4    Whole cloves or
      2 pn Ground cloves
      2    Carrots; chopped
      2    Garlic cloves; chopped
      2    Bay leaves
      2    Fresh thyme sprigs
      1    Dried chile de arbol
      2    Whole Allspice
     24 c  Water
           Salt
           MOLE:
      6    Dried guajillo chiles
      1    Dried ancho chile
      4 c  Boiling water
      1 lb Fresh or canned tomatoes
           Oil
    1/2 c  Raw sesame seeds
      1    White onion; roughly chopped
    1/4 c  Whole raw almonds
    1/4 c  Raw pecans
    1/4 c  Raisins
      4    Garlic cloves; halved
      2    Whole cloves
      2    Black peppercorns
      1    Whole Allspice
      2    inch Cinnamon stick
      2    Sprigs Fresh oregano sprigs
           (or 1/2 tspn dried oregano)
      9 c  Chicken stock
      2    Plantains or
      1    fresh cored peeled cubed
           -pineapple
           Salt
  1 1/2 tb Sugar
 
  STOCK: Cut each chicken into 8 pieces. Simmer chicken pieces, onions,
  celery, cloves, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, chile de arbol,
  allspice and water in large stockpot and cook until tender, 30 to 40
  minutes. Add salt to taste. Remove chicken from stock and set aside.
  Discard vegetables and seasonings and reserve stock.
  
  MOLE: Remove stems, seeds and veins from both kinds of chiles. Toast
  chiles in skillet or on griddle over low heat until slightly fragrant
  and beginning to blister. Be careful not to burn chiles. Put chiles in
  bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let soak 20 to 30 minutes (the
  longer they soak, the less hot they become). Transfer chiles from bowl
  to blender with slotted spoon and puree, adding some of soaking water
  if needed to blend well. Pass pureed chiles through sieve or food mill
  and set aside.
  
  Quarter tomatoes and cook in dry skillet over medium heat until dry,
  about 20 minutes. Blend well in blender and pass through sieve or food
  mill to remove seeds and skins. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet over
  low heat. When hot, add sesame seeds and cook, stirring constantly,
  until seeds brown slightly, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl. When
  cool, grind in spice grinder or with mortar and pestle.
  
  Return skillet to medium heat, add 2 tablespoons oil and onions and
  cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and transparent,
  about 10 minutes. Add almonds, pecans, raisins, garlic, cloves,
  peppercorns, allspice, cinnamon and oregano and saute, stirring
  constantly, until brown and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Transfer to
  blender and add 1 cup chicken stock. Blend until smooth.
  
  Put 2 tablespoons oil in large pot and heat over medium heat until
  slight haze forms over oil. Add chile puree and fry, stirring
  constantly, until dry, about 20 minutes. Mixture will splatter, so
  carefully partially cover pot with towel. Add tomatoes, sesame seeds
  and onion mixture and cook, stirring constantly, 10 minutes. Add
  chicken stock to make fairly loose mixture, 4 to 6 cups, and continue
  cooking, adding more stock as necessary.
  
  Slice plantains and fry in 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat
  until brown and slightly crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper
  towels. Add plantain or pineapple to chile mixture and cook about 10
  minutes to combine flavors. Add 1 tablespoon salt or more to taste.
  Stir in sugar. Mole should be thick enough to coat spoon. Add more
  stock to thin, if needed. Add chicken to mole and gently stir to
  completely coat chicken. Transfer to large, warm serving dish or
  platter. Place any sauce that won't fit in serving dish in bowl and
  serve with corn tortillas. Yields 8 to 10 servings.
  
  Recipe Source: Los Angeles Times - 04-28-1999
  Recipe from Billy Cross, founder of the Napa Valley's Great Chefs of
  France Cooking School
 
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