- 8 pasilla negro chiles, seeds and veins removed and reserved (see Cook's Note)
- 6 chilhuacle negro chiles (see Cook's Note), seeds and veins removed and reserved
- 6 mulato chiles, seeds and veins removed and reserved
- 1/4 cup raw almonds
- 1/4 cup shelled raw peanuts
- 1/4 cup pepitas
- 1/4 cup walnut halves
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon anise seeds
- 1/8 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1/8 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1/8 teaspoon whole allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/8 teaspoon whole cloves
- One 3-inch stick Mexican (Ceylon) cinnamon
- 2 large dried avocado leaves
- 4 tomatillos, husks removed, cut in half lengthwise
- 2 plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
- 1/2 large white onion, cut in half
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 corn tortillas
- 1/2 Portuguese roll or egg-based roll, quartered
- 4 to 5 tablespoons manteca or neutral oil, divided
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup pitted prunes
- 1 large ripe sweet plantain, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 tablet (3.3 ounces) Mexican chocolate
- Kosher salt
- Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
- In batches, arrange the pasilla, chilhuacle, and mulato chiles on a comal or large cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat, avoiding overcrowding. Warm the chiles until they shift to a deep red and then turn chocolate brown, roughly 10 minutes, turning midway; they'll gain a smoky essence without scorching. Transfer to a big bowl and pour warm water over them; drain and refresh the water twice. Let soak for a minimum of 15 minutes up to 30 minutes. Drain, saving 2 cups of the soaking liquid.
- Clean the comal or skillet with a dry cloth. Add almonds, peanuts, pepitas, and walnuts to the skillet over medium heat. Toast the nuts by stirring or shaking often until char spots emerge, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove and reserve.
- Wipe the comal once more and introduce sesame seeds, anise seeds, coriander seeds, peppercorns, allspice, cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon stick, and avocado leaves. Heat the skillet on medium-low, toasting spices until fragrant, shifting them regularly to avoid burning, 3 to 4 minutes. Reserve separately.
- Ensure strong ventilation ahead. Scatter the reserved chile seeds and veins in the skillet over medium-low heat. Toast until blackened and glossy, 5 to 8 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking. Turn off heat, gather seeds into a small pile on one side, then ignite with a stick lighter or torch for a brief, low flame. Allow it to subside and smoke, 30 to 40 seconds. Trap the smoke under a metal bowl to snuff the flame. Ideally, take the skillet outdoors. After at least 5 minutes, lift the hot bowl carefully. Seeds should appear matte black; reignite if glossy.
- Set broiler to high. Arrange tomatillos, tomatoes, onion, and garlic on a small baking sheet. Broil, turning once, until blistered, tender, and charred, 8 to 10 minutes. (Stovetop skillet works if no broiler.) Reserve the vegetables.
- Using tongs over medium-low open flame, char each tortilla individually, flipping midway, 2 to 3 minutes. Collect in a metal bowl.
- Toast the roll in a small skillet over medium heat on all sides until deep char develops, 3 to 4 minutes. Reserve.
- In the same small skillet, warm 1 tablespoon manteca or oil over medium heat. Saut raisins and prunes constantly until raisins puff and soften, 2 to 3 minutes without burning. Remove and reserve.
- To the skillet, add plantain rounds with another tablespoon manteca if needed. Cook until charred and tender, flipping once, 6 to 8 minutes. Reserve.
- In a spice grinder, process toasted nuts, pepitas, and spices (excluding avocado leaves) to a fine grind, not paste-like, 30 to 40 seconds. Reserve.
- Separately grind toasted chile seeds to an ashy texture, 15 to 20 seconds. Keep in its own bowl.
- Mix chiles with all toasted items except avocado leaves. In 3 to 4 batches, blend in a powerful blender with reserved soaking water (about 1/4 cup per batch) to a smooth consistency, 2 to 3 minutes each. Strain through a mesh sieve over a large bowl. Repulse any stubborn bits with more water or broth.
- In a large Dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons manteca over medium-high until smoking. Introduce strained paste, simmering while stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon. It will splatter and bubblepersist stirring to darken and bind flavors. Cook, stirring often to avoid sticking, until somewhat thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Reduce to medium-low. Crush thyme, marjoram, and oregano between fingers to unleash aromas, then stir in. Add broth, avocado leaves, and chocolate; season with salt. Simmer, stirring frequently to prevent scorching, until reduced and thick. Minimum 40 minutes for flavor melding, or up to 2 hours for richer depth and body.
- Thin with extra broth if it gets too dense. Spoon over poached chicken or other proteins, or use in enchiladas. Top with toasted sesame seeds.
For simple deseeding, snip stems with shears or knife, slit chiles lengthwise, and scrape out seeds and veins by hand. Wear gloves against irritating oils. Chilhuacle chiles, Oaxaca natives, may be scarce; substitute extra pasilla negro plus cascabels. Ventilate well when charring chiles (especially seeds) due to potent fumesoutdoors for seed-burning if feasible. Refrigerate mole airtight for 3 to 4 days or freeze up to 3 to 4 months.
Copyright 2024 Television Recipe Iseasy, G.P. All rights reserved.
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