Three Sisters Black Mole

From EatingWell: January/February 2009 — Subscribe Now!

This mole pairs well with any kind of cooked fish, tofu, vegetables or just beans and rice. Adapted from Cooking with the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta: Recipes from the World-Famous Spa (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2008) by Deborah Szekely and Deborah M. Schneider with Chef Jesùs González, Chef of La Cocina Que Canta.

About 7 cups

Active Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 1/4 hours

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

1/2 cup peanuts
1/4 cup whole almonds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 cinnamon stick
1 corn tortilla, cut in 8 wedges
4 large guajillo, New Mexico or California chiles, (about 1 ounce; see Note)
3 large dried mulato or ancho chiles, (about 1 1/2 ounces; see Note)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 small or 1 large white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 ounces Mexican chocolate, (see Note), roughly chopped (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup tomato sauce, or 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
6 cups vegetable broth

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place peanuts, almonds, sesame seeds, cinnamon stick and tortilla wedges on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven until golden brown, being careful to not burn the sesame seeds, 10 to 20 minutes.
Wearing gloves, remove the stems, seeds and inner ribs from the chiles and tear the chiles into large pieces.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chile pieces, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the chiles are fragrant and the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the toasted ingredients and cook, stirring constantly, until the onion begins to brown, being careful not to burn the chiles or nuts, 3 to 5 minutes. Add chocolate, tomato sauce (or tomatoes), salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
Remove the cinnamon stick and discard. Puree the sauce in a blender (in 3 batches) until smooth, 3 to 4 minutes per batch. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.)

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 6 months.

Notes: Mildly spicy dried chiles, such as ancho, guajillo, New Mexico, mulato and California chiles, are used to add moderate heat and a rich flavor to sauces, soups and stews. Find them in the produce section of large supermarkets or online at melissas.com.
Mexican chocolate is a mixture of dried toasted cacao, sugar and Mexican cinnamon. Ibarra and Abuelita are popular brands. Or substitute 1 ounce semisweet chocolate plus 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon per ounce of Mexican chocolate.

Nutrition

Per 2-tablespoon serving: 39 calories; 2 g fat (0 g sat, 1 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 4 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 145 mg sodium; 48 mg potassium.

Exchanges: 1/2 fat