Description
Think of this recipe as your introduction to the wonderful world of moles. Drizzle it over chicken, with a stuffed poblano, or simply with eggs or beans. Adapted from Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 ounces (about 2 cups) dry scarlet or black runner beans
- 2 to 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, to taste, divided
- 5 medium dried ancho chilies (2 1/2 ounces), stemmed and seeded
- 6 medium dried guajillo chilies (1 1/4 ounces), stemmed and seeded
- 1 morita (chipotle) chile, stemmed and seeded
- 6 ounces (1 medium to small or 2 small plum) tomatoes
- 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 generous teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
- Scant 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, preferably freshly ground
- 3 tablespoons (about 3/4 ounces) coarsely chopped Mexican chocolate
- 3 to 3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 to 2 1/2 teaspoons sugar, to taste
Instructions
- Soak the beans overnight. Rinse the beans, transfer into a large pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer gently for 2-3 hours, until the beans are tender. Season with 1 teaspoon salt, simmer another 20 minutes and drain.
- Toasting the chiles: Heat a dry heavy skillet over medium heat. Lay a chile flat and press with a metal spatula for a few seconds, until there is a crackle or perhaps a thin wisp of smoke. Turn and toast the other side. Repeat with the remaining chiles. Transfer the toasted chilies to a medium bowl, cover with hot water, and allow the chiles to rehydrate for about 30 minutes. Drain and discard the water.
- Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet for a minute or so until they start to pop. Scrape into a blender jar.
- Dry roast the garlic and tomato in the skillet, turning occasionally, for 10-15 minutes, until soft and blackened in spots. Cool slightly, peel off the skins of the tomato and garlic, and transfer to a blender, along with the rehydrated chilies, cinnamon, oregano, pepper, chocolate, and 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth. Process until smooth. Strain through a medium-mesh strainer.
- Heat the oil in a heavy, medium-sized saucepan over medium-high. Once the oil is hot enough to make a drop of the puree sizzle, add the puree all at once and stir for 3-4 minutes, until it’s thickened a bit. Add 1 1/2 cups of broth, stir, partially cover, and simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Taste and season with salt, usually about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons, and the sugar.
- Stir the drained beans into the mole. Simmer for about 20 minutes, which will allow the beans to absorb the flavors, adding more broth if necessary to give a smooth consistency. Taste for salt and serve.
- Category: Side, Sauce
- Cuisine: Mexican