Traditional mole calls for whole, toasted spices for a truly flavorful sauce, but with the addition of Taza Chocolate, ground spices work just fine and the flavor is uncompromised. Here is our quicker, condensed version of the Taza Chocolate mole, a chile pepper and chocolate sauce with Oaxacan origins. No spice grinder necessary. The sauce lasts up to a week in the refrigerator and in the freezer for several months.

Serves 6
Active time: 1 hour
Total time: 3 hours

Equipment needed:

Large skillet, food processor, Dutch oven with lid

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons lard
2 dried Ancho chilies
3 dried New Mexico chilies
2 tablespoons raisins
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
3 sprigs thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
16 almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
2 1/2 cups chicken stock, divided
1/4 cup grated Taza Guajillo Chili Chocolate Disc
Vegetable oil
1, 3-4 pound chicken, cut into 10 pieces
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

To Prepare:

For the sauce:

1. Break the Ancho and New Mexico chilies apart, and remove all the seeds and reserve. 

2. In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt the lard. When shimmering add the chilies, working in batches if necessary, and cook until they begin to soften and the chilies begin to lighten (about 1 minute per side).

3. Remove skillet from heat, but reserve lard in the skillet. Place dried chilies in a bowl then cover with boiling water. Allow to sit for 30 minutes.

4. While chilies sit, heat the reserved lard in the skillet over medium high heat. Add the raisins and reserved chili seeds and cook until the raisins are plump and their color has lightened. Remove from pan and place pan back on heat.

5. Add onion, garlic, tomatoes, thyme, cumin, cinnamon, and black pepper and cook until onions are soft and tomatoes begin to disintegrate (about 10 minutes).

6. Remove chilies from liquid and reserve 1 cup of liquid. Add soaked chilies, raisins, and chili seeds as well as almonds and sesame seeds and stir to combine. Then add 1 cup of reserved chili liquid and 1 1/2 cups chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook for 30 minutes, remove lid and continue to cook for 30 minutes.

7. Once the sauce has finished cooking remove from heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes before placing the sauce as well as Taza Guajillo Chili Chocolate Disc into a food processor. Process until smooth and season to taste with salt and pepper. At this point, the mole can sit in the fridge for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 3 months.

For the chicken:

1. Adjust the oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350 degrees.

2. Season the chicken pieces with salt. Then heat a generous drizzle of vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven.

3. When the oil is shimmering add the chicken pieces in batches and brown on all sides.

4. Once all the chicken is browned place all the chicken pieces back in the pot and add 2 cups mole sauce and 1 cup of chicken stock.

5. Bring to a simmer then cover and place in the oven until the meat is fully cooked, about 30 minutes.

6. Remove from the oven and serve with rice, garnished with chopped cilantro and toasted sesame seeds if desired.