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When I was in San Diego recently, I had an impromptu mole making lesson with a Mexican friend of a friend. We’re not talking about subterranean dwelling creatures here, we’re talking about mole-AY, which is basically a Mexican sauce. In Mexico, apparently, the term mole can mean any number of sauces but generally, and certainly outside of Mexico, it mostly refers to mole poblano, a dark reddish-brown sauce which is served with meat. The ingredients typically include chillies, chocolate (just a little bit, this isn’t a chocolate sauce as is often assumed), and…well after that people start to argue.
The making of mole is typically quite a long and complex process, and I’ve read lots of stories about the roasting of chillies, which…
View Full Recipe at Food Stories
,%20and%E2%80%A6well%20after%20that%20people%20start%20to%20argue.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20making%20of%20mole%20is%20typically%20quite%20a%20long%20and%20complex%20process,%20and%20I%E2%80%99ve%20read%20lots%20of%20stories%20about%20the%20roasting%20of%20chillies,%20which%20are%20ground%20laboriously%20by%20hand%20as%20part%20of%20a%20preparation%20process%20that%20takes%20days.%20From%20what%20I%20can%20tell%20that%E2%80%99s%20fairly%20standard,%20but%20only%20for%20special%20occasions%20such%20as%20weddings,%20or%20festivals,%20when%20it%20is%20often%20served%20with%20turkey.%20There%E2%80%99s%20a%20lovely%20little%20anecdote%20in%20Diana%20Kennedy%E2%80%99s%20%E2%80%98The%20Essential%20Cuisines%20of%20Mexico%E2%80%99%20where%20she%20says:%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E%E2%80%9CI%20can%20remember%20that%20just%20before%20Christmas,%20during%20my%20first%20years%20in%20Mexico,%20the%20traffic%20would%20be%20held%20up%20on%20the%20Paseo%20de%20Reforma%20while%20flocks%20of%20turkeys%20were%20being%20coaxed%20along%20by%20their%20owners.%20One%20by%20one%20they%20would%20be%20bought%20and%20for%20the%20rest%20of%20the%20week%20a%20constant%20gobbling%20was%20heard%20on%20the%20azoteas,%20flat%20roofs,%20of%20the%20apartment%20blocks%20and%20houses%20around%20us.%E2%80%9C%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ENon-celebratory%20moles,%20however,%20are%20typically%20made%20with%20bought-in%20pastes,%20which%20people%20use%20as%20a%20base,%20then%20build%20on%20until%20they%20have%20something%20they%20feel%20fits%20the%20current%20purpose.%20Something%20else%20I%20have%20learned,%20is%20that%20there%20are%20countless%20variations%20on%20mole,%20which%20vary%20by%20region%20but%20mostly%20by%20household,%20as%20Enrique%20Olvera,%20chef%20at%20Pujol%20in%20Mexico%20City,%20points%20out%20in%20this%20piece%20for%20Lucky%20Peach.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20mole%20poblano%20I%E2%80%99m%20going%20to%20tell%20you%20about%20doesn%E2%80%99t%20fit%20with%20either%20the%20painstaking%20prep%20versions,%20or%20the%20ready-bought%20paste%20versions,%20but%20it%20is%20interesting.%20As%20a%20cook,%20there%E2%80%99s%20obviously%20nothing%20better%20than%20having%20someone%20teach%20you%20their%20version%20of%20a%20dish%20that%20is%20so%20famous,%20even%20if%20you%20do%20have%20a%20massive%20hangover%20and%20can%20barely%20stand%20up%20(that%20San%20Diego%20craft%20beer%20is%20dangerous).%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESo%20I%20thought%20you%20lot%20would%20be%20interested,%20because%20I%20was.%20It%20may%20not%20be%20the%20most%20%E2%80%98authentic%E2%80%99%20or%20the%20best,%20or%20whatever,%20but%20it%20was%20very%20tasty,%20which%20is%20the%20most%20important%20thing.%20We%20couldn%E2%80%99t%20really%20communicate%20so%20well%20because%20I%20don%E2%80%99t%20really%20speak%20Spanish%20and%20like%20I%20said,%20I%20wasn%E2%80%99t%20on%20top%20form,%20but%20here%20are%20the%20interesting%20bits.%20It%E2%80%99s%20kinda%20like%20a%20quick%20n%E2%80%99%20dirty%20mole,%20I%20have%20to%20say.%20You%E2%80%99ll%20see%20what%20I%20mean.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWe%20removed%20the%20seeds%20from%20the%20dried%20chillies%20(pasillo-ancho%20and%20California%20chillies).%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWe%20fried%20the%20chillies%20in%20hot%20oil%20until%20they%20puffed%20up%20and%20blistered.%20This%20happened%20really%20quickly;%20I%E2%80%99d%20say%20it%20took%20around%2030%20seconds.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThen,%20unexpectedly,%20not%20one,%20but%20two%20types%20of%20Ritz%20style%20crackers%20were%20produced.%20It%20took%20us%20ages%20to%20work%20out%20what%20was%20happening%20here,%20but%20it%20emerged%20that%20basically,%20they%E2%80%99re%20used%20as%20a%20way%20of%20transferring%20the%20chilli-flavoured%20oil%20to%20the%20blender%20with%20the%20chillies%20(and%20eventually%20all%20the%20other%20ingredients).%20If%20the%20oil%20was%20just%20poured%20directly%20into%20the%20blender,%20then%20it%20wouldn%E2%80%99t%20emulsify%20with%20the%20other%20ingredients,%20it%20would%20just%20split%20out%20into%20its%20own%20separate%20layer.%20At%20least,%20we%20think%20this%20is%20what%20was%20happening.%20I%20am%20under%20the%20impression%20that%20some%20recipes%20might%20use%20a%20tortilla%20to%20do%20this.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EFried%20chillies%20and%20crackers.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EEven%20the%20chocolate%20was%20given%20its%20own%20little%20shimmy%20in%20the%20oil.%20It%20was%20Nestle%20%E2%80%98Abulita%E2%80%99%20which%20is%20a%20brand%20of%20drinking%20chocolate.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIt%20all%20goes%20into%20a%20blender%20with%20tomatoes,%20garlic%E2%80%A6etc%20and%E2%80%A6Coca%20Cola.%20Yuh%20huh.%20I%E2%80%99m%20guessing%20this%20is%20replacing%20some%20of%20the%20raisins%20and%20spices%20that%20would%20usually%20be%20added%20separately.%20She%20also%20simmered%20chicken%20legs%20with%20garlic%20cloves%20and%20bouillon%20and%20used%20some%20of%20the%20liquid%20from%20that.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ENot%20entirely%20sure%20how%20to%20account%20for%20the%20beer%E2%80%A6but%20we%20like%20beer.%20Beer%20is%20good.%20After%20this%20was%20blended,%20there%20was%20a%20huge%20amount%20of%20sieving%20to%20get%20a%20smooth%20mixture.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20lot%20is%20then%20added%20back%20to%20the%20pan%20with%20the%20chicken%20and%20served%20with%20Mexican%20rice%20%E2%80%93%20fry%20up%20uncooked%20rice%20in%20a%20decent%20amount%20of%20oil%20until%20it%20browns%20then%20add%20stock%20and%20sieved%20tomatoes%20and%20peas,%20carrots%20corn%20etc%20(from%20a%20tin%20or%20frozen).%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EInteresting,%20huh?%20I%E2%80%99m%20off%20now%20to%20make%20tomato%20soup%20with%20Lilt%20and%20Super%20Malt.%20Jokes!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWith%20huge%20thanks%20to%20Angeles%20Magana%20for%20the%20lesson%20and%20recipe,%20and%20to%20Caroline%20for%20her%20help%20with%20remembering%20it.%3C/p%3E){kind=link}