RE: [CH] Hatch chiles clarification?
John Sphar (chilehead@pacbell.net)
Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:13:20 -0700
OK, here it is - it's demanding doing this. The chihuacles are important.
Since this recipe calls for only 5 of them, www.Gourmesleuth.com or
www.tierravegetables.com have the little packets. Regular pasillas (also
known as chile negros) can be subbed for the Mexican ones. Make sure
Chihuacle NEGRO is specified, not the red. I did it only once. If one of you
tries it, let me know I'll do it again and we'll compare:
Mole Negro Oaxaqueno: Oaxacan Black Mole
Recipe excerpted from Seasons of My Heart: A Culinary Journey through
Oaxaca, Mexico by Susana Trilling: Ballantine Books, 1999 (but JS added he
parentheses)
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Yield: 12 servings
4 large onions, chopped, plus 1 medium onion, quartered
8 ribs celery, chopped
8 carrots, chopped
2 (3 pound) chickens, cut into 12 pieces, skinned
5 chilhuacles negros, seeded and deveined; seeds reserved
5 guajillos, seeded and deveined; seeds reserved
4 pasillas Mexicanos, seeded and deveined; seeds reserved (or regular
pasillas)
4 anchos negros, seeded and deveined; seeds reserved (anchos or mulatos)
2 chipotles mecos, seeded and deveined; seeds reserved
1/2 head garlic, cloves separated
2 tablespoons whole almonds
2 tablespoons shelled and skinned raw peanuts
1 (1-inch) piece Mexican cinnamon
3 black peppercorns
3 whole cloves
3 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 1/2 tablespoons raisins
1 slice egg-dough bread
1 small ripe plantain, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/2-cup sesame seeds
2 pecan halves
1/2 pound chopped tomatoes
1/4 pound chopped tomatillos
1 sprig thyme, or 1/2 tsp. dried
1 sprig Oaxacan oregano, or 1/2 tsp. dried (or Mexican oregano)
2 tablespoons lard
4 1/2 ounces Mexican chocolate (Ibarra, Abuelita)
1 avocado leaf (www.gourmetsleuth.com/avocadoleaves.htm)
Salt, to taste
In a 2 gallon stockpot, heat 5 quarts water and onions, celery, and carrots
to a boil. Add chicken pieces and poach, covered, over low heat for about 35
to 45 minutes, until cooked through and juices run clear when pierced with a
fork. Remove the meat from the stock. Strain and reserve the stock.
Heat 2 quarts of water in a kettle. On a 10-inch dry comal, griddle, or in a
cast-iron frying pan, toast the chiles over medium heat until blackened, but
not burnt, about 10 minutes. Place the chiles in a large bowl, cover with
hot water, and soak for 1/2 hour. Remove the chiles from the soaking water
with tongs, placing small batches in a blender with 1/4 cup of the chile
soaking water to blend smooth. Put the chile puree through a strainer to
remove the skins.
In the same dry comal, griddle, or frying pan, grill the onion and garlic
over medium heat for 10 minutes. Set aside. Toast the almonds, peanuts,
cinnamon stick, peppercorns, and cloves in a dry comal, griddle or cast-iron
frying pan for about 5 minutes. Remove them from the pan.
Over the same heat, toast the chile seeds, taking care to blacken but not
burn them, about 20 minutes. Try to do this outside or in a well-ventilated
place because the seeds will give off very strong fumes. When the seeds are
completely black, light them with a match and let them burn themselves out.
Remove from the heat and place in a bowl. Soak the blackened seeds in 1 cup
of cold water for 10 minutes. Drain the seeds and grind them in a blender
for about 2 minutes. Add the blended chile seeds to the blended chile
mixture.
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in an 8-inch cast-iron frying pan over medium heat
until smoking. Add the raisins and fry them until they are plump,
approximately 1 minute. Remove from the pan. Fry the bread slice in the same
oil until browned, about 5 minutes, over medium heat. Remove from pan. Fry
the plantain in the same oil until it is well browned, approximately 10
minutes, over medium heat. Set aside.
Fry the sesame seeds, stirring constantly over low heat, adding more oil if
needed. When the sesame seeds start to brown, about 5 minutes, add the
pecans and brown for 2 minutes more. Remove all from the pan, let cool, and
grind finely in a spice grinder. It takes a bit of time, but this is the
only way to grind the seeds and nuts finely enough.
Wipe out the frying pan and fry the tomatoes, tomatillos, thyme, and oregano
over medium to high heat, allowing the juices to almost evaporate, about 15
minutes. Blend well, using 1/2 cup of reserved stock if needed to blend and
set aside.
Place the nuts, bread, plantains, raisins, onion, garlic and spices in the
blender in small batches, and blend well, adding about 1 cup of stock to
make it smooth.
In a heavy 4-quart stockpot, heat 2 tablespoons of lard or oil until smoking
and fry the chile paste over medium to low heat, stirring constantly so it
will not burn, approximately 20 minutes. When it is ?dry?, add the tomato
puree and fry until the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add the
ground ingredients, including the sesame seed paste, to the pot. Stir
constantly with a wooden soon until well-incorporated, about 10 minutes. Add
1 cup chicken stock to the mole, stir well, and allow to cook 20 minutes,
stirring occasionally.
Break up the chocolate and add to the pot, stirring until it is melted and
incorporated into the mixture.
Toast the avocado leaf briefly over the flame if you have a gas range or in
a dry frying pan and then add it to the pot. Slowly add more stock to the
mole, as it will keep thickening as it cooks. Add enough salt to bring out
the flavor. Let simmer another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally so it does
not stick, adding stock as needed. The mole should not be thick; just thick
enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Place the cooked chicken pieces in the leftover stock in a saucepan and heat
through.
To serve, place a piece of chicken in a shallow bowl and ladle 3/4 of a cup
of mole sauce over to cover it completely. Serve immediately with lots of
hot corn tortillas.
Hint: Be sure to put the blended chiles through a sieve or food mill, or you
will have pieces of chile skin in your mole, which needs to be silky smooth.
You can use oil instead of lard to fry the mole, but the flavor will change
dramatically. In our pueblo, people traditionally use turkey instead of
chicken, and sometimes add pieces of pork and beef to enhance the flavor.
You can use leftover mole and chicken meat to make Enmoladas or Tamales
Oazaquenos made with banana leaves.
Inspired by Maria Taboada and Paula Martinez
Episode#: ENSP03
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