Sunday November 6, 2011
Malibu, California
Refreshing Rain dotted with Blue Skies
After a week in Cabo, I began to crave the "real" Mexico. The Mexico rich in culture with some of the friendliest people in the world. So I decided to make Oaxacan Mole from scratch. I learned how to make it while taking a cooking class at Casa Crespo in Oaxaca last year. Making mole is quite tedius but thank god for my food processor as it made the task easier. I used the exact same recipe that I got from Oscar, the chef at Casa Crespo. Fortunately, while in Oaxaca last year I stocked up on Oaxacan chocolate so did not have to go hunting for them all over Los Angeles. I did, however, had to find plantains and the chilis which I did at a Mexican market in Culver City.
It took me a good part of the day to make it. Instead of turkey, I roasted cut up chicken. As the recipe makes ALOT of mole, I shared it with Bonnie and her husband as they took care of Ms. Yuki while I went to SF for a day for work.
And here's the finished product. It was delicious! The chocolate with spices wakens your taste buds. It was worth all the effort. I've also included the recipe for those who are interested in trying this at home. The challenge though is to get the right type of chilis.
Oaxacan Mole with Roasted Chicken
Party Mole
(25 portions)
1 8 lb. (4 k) turkey, washed and cut in pieces
16 cups (128 fl oz/4 l) water
5 garlic cloves
½ onion
1 tablespoon salt
SAUCE
13 Mexican pasilla chilies (4.5 oz/125 g)
8 mulato chilies (4.5 oz/125 g)
Cooking oil
¾ cup (4.5 oz/125 g) raisins
½ cup (3.5 oz/100 g) almonds
½ cup (1.8 oz/50 g) pecans
2 tablespoons (.9 oz/25 g) shelled pumpkin seeds
¾ cup (4.5 oz/125 g) sesame seeds
2 sliced plantains (17.7 oz/500 g)
3 medium tomatoes (10.6 oz/300 g)
4 garlic cloves
½ medium onion, roughly chopped (3 oz/85 g)
4 peppercorns
2 cloves
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon thyme
2 in (5 cm) cinnamon stick
1 cup (½ lb/¼ k) pork lard
2 cups (10.5 oz/300 g) shaved Oaxacan chocolate
Boil the turkey in a large stockpot with the onion half, 5 garlic cloves and salt for an hour or until the meat is tender. Remove the turkey and save the broth.
Cut the chilies lengthwise with scissors; devein and seed them; remove the stems.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry each chili individually. Remove them once they blister, being careful not to burn them. Fry the raisins until they plump, then put them in some water to avoid hardening. Fry the almonds, then the pecans, and finally the pumpkin seeds. Fry the sesame seeds with just a little oil and a bit of salt so they do not splatter. Clean the pan, then fry the sliced plantains and remove. Fry the tomatoes, garlic and onion.
Grind the chilies first. Then grind all the other ingredients: the raisins, almonds, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, tomatoes, garlic, onion and spices. If you are grinding with a blender, add some turkey broth. If using a mill, add a little water.
Fry the ground ingredients in the lard, using a large pot. Stir constantly for over an hour until the mixture takes on a dark color and turns into a paste. Add the chocolate and stir until it melts. Add the turkey broth until the mole has the consistency of a thick sauce. Bring to a boil; check the taste. Cover each turkey piece with mole and serve with white rice.
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