Pictorial: Mole Poblano De Pollo!

Mole Poblano De Pollo (chicken with chocolate/chile sauce),
Arroz Rojo (red rice), Frijoles Refritos (refried beans)

ingredients #1 (chicken with chocolate/chile sauce)

6 TBSP ground mulato chile (seeds and veins removed)
5 TBSP ground ancho chile (seeds and veins removed)
6 TBSP ground pasilla chile (seeds and veins removed)
30 G plain chocolate (high % of cocoa, 1 OZ)
12 X chicken drumsticks
1 X tortilla (old and dry is okay)
1 X slice of white bread
4 X garlic clove
4 X clove
1 CUP whole-canned tomatoes in juice
1/2 CUP lard
1/3 CUP pumpkin seed
6 CUP chicken stock
6 TBSP chopped almonds
4 TBSP sesame seed
1 TBSP honey
1/4 TSP aniseed
1/4 TSP coriander seed
1 TSP black pepper corns
1 TSP salt (to taste)
1.25 CM cinnamon stick (1/2")

ingredients #2 (red rice)

1 X white onion
1 X chile
2-4 X veg oil
1 X leek (chopped in rings)
2 CUP tomato puree
1 CUP chicken stock (veg stock is fine too)
1 CUP uncooked long grain rice
1 TBSP ground cumin
1 TBSP ground celery seeds
1 TSP salt
1 TSP black pepper

ingredients #3 (refried beans)

400 G cooked pinto beans (14 OZ)
2 X white onion
1 X red onion (minced)
1 CUP plain yogurt
2-3 TBSP lard
1 TBSP salt
1 TBSP black pepper



preheat oven (150C/300F), pet-dry the chicken with some paper towel, season with S&P on a
tin-foiled and lighly oiled baking tray, place in oven, set timer to 45-60 min



roast cinnamon stick, pepper corns, sesame seeds and cloves until fragrant,



ground to a somewhat fine powder, mortar or spice grinder will do the job



heat a pot, melt half of the ingredients #1 lard, fry almonds and pumkin seeds,
remove from the pot as soon as the pumkin seeds start popping, place on some paper towel



melt the rest of the lard and brown the tortilla and white bread (shred them),
place them also on the paper towel to drain excessive fat



prep and measure the chile



bring 2 cups of chicken stock to a simmer, add chile powder, garlic, bread/tortilla shreds,
pumkin seeds and almonds



keep stiring and scrapping the pots' bottom



keep stiring until the sauce reduced to a thick paste



add the tomatoes+juice and keep stir-roasting, then add the rest of the chicken stock,
reduce the heat, let simmer, stir and scrap from time to time



place the ingredients #2 in a blender (except rice, oil and leek rings)



blend to a smooth puree



heat a pan or pot with lots of surface, heat oil, sir-fry the rice until lightly browned



add the ingredients #2 puree from the blender, bring to boil, stir well and lower the heat,
keep an eye on the bottom of the pan, the rice/sauce mix shouldn't be sticking nor burning
to the bottom, adjust heat accordingly, the rice should be done in around 20 min



check the drumsticks, roasting slowly but surely



always keep an eye on the mole, stir and scrap from time to time



add the choco and the ground cinnamon/pepper/sesame/clove powder mix



blend mole until smooth, let simmer on low heat



taste the rice to check its doneness, lower the heat and cover when done



warm up the cooked pinto beans, add the chopped onions, lard and seasoning



bend until smooth, adjust seasoning to taste



quick overview, everything is ready to go



the drumsticks are done, switch from baking to broiling to finsh them off, 5 min is plenty



top the chicken with mole and some sesame seeds, top the rice with a few leek rings,
top the refried beans with yogurt and minced red onion, ready to serve





¡Buen apetito!

before


after


UPDATE 20061214

Time to raid the freezer: Enchilada De Mole




All the food on the plate came from the freezer: the mole, the refried beans, the green rice, the carnitas filling and even the tortillas were frozen leftovers. Okay the cheese, minced onion, green chile, sour cream and cilantro were fresh. Everything defrosted very gracefully and were prep'd with a sauce pan and a microwave oven.