Republican Mexico · Mexico

Mole Poblano

Name: Mole Poblano
Total time: 145 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Mexico
Ingredients: 6 ancho chillies, stemmed and seeded; 4 mulato chillies; 3 pasilla chillies; 60g raisins; 60g almonds; 30g sesame seeds; 3 cloves garlic; 1 tomato; 1 stale corn tortilla; 1 cinnamon stick; 2 cloves; 40g Mexican chocolate; 1L chicken stock; 4 chicken pieces; 3 tbsp lard or oil; Salt to taste

From Nuevo Cocinero Mejicano en forma de diccionario · Anonymous · 1858

Verified from original source

The complex chocolate-chili sauce of Puebla — one of the earliest published mole recipes.

History

Mole poblano originated in Puebla, Mexico, likely in the 17th century. Legend credits nuns at the Convent of Santa Rosa with creating this complex sauce of chiles, chocolate, spices, and nuts for a visiting archbishop, though the true origins are probably older and more gradual. It combines indigenous Mexican ingredients (chiles, chocolate, tomatoes) with Spanish imports (almonds, cinnamon, cloves). Mole poblano became Mexico's national dish, served at celebrations and festivals. The recipe evolved from colonial-era convents into family kitchens, with each cook developing their own variation. Modern versions maintain the essential balance of sweet, savoury, and spicy elements that define this iconic sauce.

Sources

Nuevo Cocinero Mejicano en forma de diccionario, Anonymous, 1858
El cocinero mexicano, Anonymous, 1831
Sophie D. Coe and Michael D. Coe, The True History of Chocolate, 1996
Janet Long-Solís, A Survey of Street Foods in Mexico City, 1986
Rachel Laudan, Cuisine and Empire: Cooking in World History, 2013
Maricel E. Presilla, Gran Cocina Latina: The Food of Latin America, 2012

Serves

Prep

45m

Cook

100m

Difficulty

Hard

Ingredients

· 6 ancho chillies, stemmed and seeded
· 4 mulato chillies
· 3 pasilla chillies
· 60g raisins
· 60g almonds
· 30g sesame seeds
· 3 cloves garlic
· 1 tomato
· 1 stale corn tortilla
· 1 cinnamon stick
· 2 cloves
· 40g Mexican chocolate
· 1L chicken stock
· 4 chicken pieces
· 3 tbsp lard or oil
· Salt to taste

Method

1
Toast chillies briefly in a dry pan until fragrant. Soak in warm water 20 min.
2
Toast almonds and sesame separately until golden.
3
Char tomato and garlic in the dry pan until blackened in spots.
4
Blend everything except chocolate and stock to a thick paste.
5
Fry paste in lard 8 minutes until darkened.
6
Add stock and chocolate. Simmer 45 minutes to marry flavours.
7
Poach chicken in the sauce for 30 minutes until cooked through.
8
Serve with rice and warm tortillas, showered with sesame seeds.

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