Puebla-Style Mole Poblano (Mole Poblano) — Chile-Chocolate Chicken in Festival Sauce

• 1 wholewhole chicken (about 1.8 kg, cut into 8 serving pieces)
• 3 lwater
• 1white onion (peeled and quartered)
• 4 clovegarlic (peeled)
• 2 leafbay leaves
• 12 gfine sea salt
• 6dried mulato chiles (stems, seeds, and veins removed)
• 4dried ancho chiles (stems, seeds, and veins removed)
• 4dried pasilla chiles (stems, seeds, and veins removed)
• 1dried chipotle chile (stem removed)
• 120 grendered pork lard (divided)
• 3ripe tomatoes (about 450 g total)
• 4tomatillos (husks removed and rinsed)
• 1bolillo roll (about 70 g, sliced)
• 1corn tortilla (torn into pieces)
• 1ripe plantain (peeled and sliced)
• 45 gblanched almonds
• 30 gunsalted peanuts
• 25 ghulled pumpkin seeds
• 35 gsesame seeds
• 40 graisins
• 1 stickcinnamon (Mexican canela preferred)
• 4whole cloves
• 10black peppercorns
• 0.5 tspanise seeds
• 1 tspcoriander seeds
• 0.5 tspcumin seeds
• 1 tspdried Mexican oregano
• 0.5 tspdried thyme
• 60 gMexican chocolate (dairy-free tablet, chopped)
• 12 ggranulated sugar
• 1.4 lreserved chicken broth (from poaching the chicken)

Instructions

1. 1

   Put the chicken, water, quartered onion, 4 garlic cloves, bay leaves, and 12 g salt in a large pot. Bring to a gentle simmer, skim the surface, and cook for 35 to 40 minutes until the chicken is tender but not falling apart.

2. 2

   Lift the chicken pieces onto a tray and cover them loosely so they stay moist. Strain the broth through a fine sieve, discard the solids, and reserve at least 1.4 l broth for the mole sauce.

3. 3

   Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat and toast the mulato, ancho, pasilla, and chipotle chiles in batches for 10 to 15 seconds per side. Do not let them blacken, because burned chiles make the finished mole bitter and harsh.

4. 4

   Place the toasted chiles in a bowl and cover them with 750 ml hot reserved broth. Weight them with a plate and soak for 25 minutes, then drain while saving 250 ml of the soaking liquid for blending.

5. 5

   Roast the tomatoes, tomatillos, sliced onion, and unpeeled garlic on a comal or dry skillet for 12 to 15 minutes, turning until blistered and softened. Peel the roasted garlic, and keep all the roasted vegetables together with their juices.

6. 6

   Melt 45 g lard in a wide pot over medium heat and fry the bolillo, tortilla, and plantain until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Transfer them to a bowl, then fry the almonds, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and raisins for 2 to 3 minutes until aromatic.

7. 7

   Toast the cinnamon stick, cloves, peppercorns, anise seeds, coriander seeds, and cumin seeds in the skillet for 60 to 90 seconds. Grind the toasted spices finely, then combine them with the fried ingredients, roasted vegetables, soaked chiles, oregano, thyme, and 250 ml chile soaking liquid.

8. 8

   Blend the mole mixture in batches with enough reserved broth to make the blades move, using about 900 ml broth in total at this stage. Pass the puree through a medium-mesh sieve or food mill, pressing firmly so the sauce becomes smooth and silky.

9. 9

   Heat the remaining 75 g lard in a large heavy pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the strained puree carefully, stir constantly for 8 to 10 minutes, and cook until it darkens, thickens, and releases a roasted aroma.

10. 10

    Add the chopped Mexican chocolate, 8 g salt, 12 g sugar, and the remaining reserved broth in small additions until the sauce has the texture of heavy cream. Simmer uncovered over low heat for 35 to 45 minutes, stirring often so the dense sauce does not scorch on the bottom.

11. 11

    Nestle the cooked chicken pieces into the mole and simmer gently for 15 minutes so the meat absorbs the sauce. Serve hot with toasted sesame seeds scattered over the top, spooning extra mole generously over each portion.