Tamales de mole coloradito

METHOD 

In a heavy 7-quart stockpot, heat 6 quarts of water and the vegetables and seasoning ingredients to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and lower heat to simmer. Cover and cook the chicken for about 30 to 40  minutes or until the meat is tender and the juices run clear when the dark meat is pierced with a fork. Remove the  chicken, strain, and reserve the stock. You can remove the chicken breast about 5 minutes before or add them 5  minutes after you start with the dark meat, as they cook faster, so they don't overcook and become dry. 

Wrap the plantain in tin foil to cover completely and place in a 350° oven and allow to roast for 35 minutes. The skin will burst open and the flesh will look transparent. If you are working with a comal and wood fire, place the plantain directly on the coals to roast. 

Bring 2 quarts of water to boil. On a 10-inch dry comal, griddle or in a cast-iron frying pan over low heat, toast the  chiles on both sides, toasting the chiles anchos a bit slower and longer than the chiles guajillos, because of their  thicker skins. Toast them on both sides until their skins start to blister and they give off their aroma. Remove the  chiles from the comal or pan, place them in a medium bowl, and cover them with the hot water. Soak the chiles for 20 minutes, turning to soften them. Puree in the blender, using about 1 cup of the chile water. Pass the puree  through a food mill or strainer to remove the skins. Set aside.

In a medium frying pan, over medium heat, cook tomato pieces and marjoram or oregano with no oil and cook until  condensed, 10 to 15 minutes. First they will give off their juices, then they will dry out. Puree the tomato mixture  in a blender, then pass the mixture through a food mill sieve. 

On the comal, griddle or cast iron frying pan, toast the peppercorns, cloves, allspice and cinnamon stick, and remove  from the heat. Grill the garlic and onions, turning them often until they become translucent. Let cool and mix  everything in a bowl.  

In a medium size frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat and fry the bread slices until brown. Remove them from the pan and add to the spice mixture. In the same oil, fry the raisins until they are plump, about 1-2 minutes. Remove them from the pan and add to the spices. Fry the almonds until light brown, about 2-3 minutes. Add them to the spices, which we now call the seasoning mix.  

Peel the plantain and cut it into thick slices. Add it to the seasoning mix. 

Wipe out the frying pan or use a new one and put over low heat. Add 1 teaspoon of oil and the sesame seeds and fry until brown, about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. If they bounce around a lot in the pan add a good pinch of sea salt and the seeds will calm down. Add the sesame seeds to the seasoning mix and stir well. 

Puree the seasoning mix with 1½ - 2 cups of the reserved stock cup until very very smooth. Set aside. You should  now have three bowls of very smooth purees, the sugar, chocolate and sea salt left. Also the chicken stock. 

In a wide cazuela or heavy Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of lard or oil over high heat until smoking. Add the chile  puree, it will sizzle, but keep stirring constantly. It will splatter about a bit, but keep stirring.  

Lower heat to medium high and after about 20 minutes, or when chile puree is thick, add the tomato mixture and continue to cook, about 15 minutes, stirring to keep the mole from sticking or burning. It should be bubbling all over the pot. 

Add the seasoning mix and continue to cook, stirring constantly. When it is very thick, slowly add 4½ - 5 cups of  the reserved broth to thin out the sauce, and let it heat completely through, about 20 -30 minutes more. Add the sugar and chocolate, stirring constantly. Let it cook down for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the sea salt,  little by little, to taste. The taste will change dramatically through the use of the sea salt! If it catches in your throat,  it needs more stock, and cook it down until it's smooth tasting. The more time it has to cook the better chicken pieces to the broth and heat through. Add more broth to the mole if needed. The mole should be thick enough to just coat a spoon, no more. Place a piece of chicken on a serving plate and ladle enough mole on top to completely cover the meat. Serve with hot corn tortillas. 

Hint: You can use turkey, pork or rabbit instead of chicken. You can use the rest for Tamales Oaxaqueños made  with banana leaves or Enchiladas Oaxaqueñas.You should make this mole at least one day ahead, as the flavors  will blend together better. The sauce freezes well too.

I learned to make this flavorful combination of chiles and spices from my friend and teacher Carlota Santos. I spent hours in her kitchen learning about this mole and the tamales and enchiladas you can make with the leftovers.

Makes 12 servings 

INGREDIENTS 

For the stock: 

1 medium white onion, thickly sliced 

1 head of garlic 

1 carrot, peeled and thickly sliced 

3 celery ribs, with leaves 

1 bay leaf 

1 whole allspice 

1 chile de árbol 

5 black peppercorns 

1½ chickens (about 4½ pounds), cut into 12 servings, reserving the back and neck for stock 

For the mole: 

9 chiles anchos (about 4½ ounces), stemmed, seeded and destemmed 

11 chiles guajillos (about 2¼ ounces), stemmed, seeded and destemmed 

2 black peppercorns 

2 whole cloves 

1 whole allspice 

1 piece of Mexican cinnamon stick, about 1 inch long 

1 small head garlic, cloves separated 

1 small white onion, quartered

1 pound ripe tomatoes (2 medium to large round or 8-10 plum), quartered 

1 sprig fresh marjoram or Oaxacan oregano or ½ teaspoon dried 

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon lard, sunflower or vegetable oil 

½ large ripe plantain, in peel 

½ bolillo or French roll, sliced 

1 tablespoon raisins 

5 whole, unpeeled almonds 

3 tablespoons lard, sunflower or vegetable oil 

½ cup sesame seeds 

1 tablespoon sugar 

2 bars Mexican chocolate (3 ounces each), or to taste 

1½ - 2 tablespoons sea salt, or more, to taste