Mole Sauce with Ancho and Pasilla Chile
Oct 3, 2008
I recently stumbled across a fantastic 80-year old mole recipe. Mole, for those that don’t know, is a Mexican sauce made from dry chilies, nuts, spices, garlic and onion. This recipe was lovingly handed down through three generations of Mexican mothers and grandmothers. How did I come across this very old recipe you may ask? I recently attended a cooking class on how to make Mole at La Cocina in San Francisco. La Cocina is an innovative incubator kitchen for minority women. It serves as a platform for low-income entrepreneurs launching, formalizing or expanding their food businesses. La Cocina runs a series of amazing cooking classes called “Cooking classes that you’ve always dreamed of.”
The mole we made was incredible. The delectable sauce imparted an earthiness and a long lasting taste from the pasilla chili. The ancho chili adds to this flavor – starting off sweet on the palette and ending on a hot note. Underlying the chili flavors ever so slightly is a nuttiness from the roasted sesame seeds. The bold Mexican cinnamon compliments the overall experience in a well blended combination. This mole sauce is authentic, complex, comforting and delicious!
Ingredients
| 3 |
garlic cloves |
| ¼ |
onion chopped |
| 3 |
Mexican cinnamon sticks |
| ¼ |
cup almonds |
| 5 |
raisins |
| ¼ |
cup hazelnuts |
| ¼ |
cup pine nuts |
| ¼ |
cup walnuts |
| ⅓ |
cup sesame seeds |
| ½ |
pound dried chile Ancho |
| ½ |
pound dried chile pasilla |
| 5 |
prunes |
| 2-3 |
cups water |
| 6-7 |
tablespoons any vegetable oil |
Serves
6-8
Prep Time
45 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Directions
Take out all the seeds from the dried chile. If you have sensitive hands, wear gloves as the chile will sting. If you are brave enough without the gloves, wash your hands immediately after completing.
In a small pan dry roast sesame seeds for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Set aside.
Heat a pan with 2-3 tablespoons of oil on medium heat. When oil is hot, add chili and fry, until soft and tender. Remove from heat.
In another pan, on low heat with 1 tablespoon oil, add garlic, onion, prunes, raisins, Mexican cinnamon, and all the nuts, saute/ roast until golden brown.
Combine sesame seeds, chilies, and garlic and nut mixture in blender and process until smooth. Add two cups of water. Add more water if it’s too hot for your taste buds. More water equates to more liquidy mole. You may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your blender.
In a good sized pot on low heat, add two tablespoons of oil, when oil is hot, add mole mixture, stir to combine. Bring to a boil (about 10-15 minutes) and turn stove off.
Pour mole over roasted chicken.
This mole concentrate will last about 3 months in a fridge.
Credit
Las Pastores Restaurant — 3486 Mission St, SF
Filed Under
Sauces| Rubs| Blends
Spices Used
Chili
1 Comment
“My husband and I live 4 miles from the Mexico Border in Brownsville TX.I will try this recipe this weekend. Can't wait.”
—Louise Davidson, over 3 years ago