Mole Sandwich Recipes

Steps:

• For the chicken mole: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Remove the stems and seeds from the ancho chiles and bake for 5 minutes. When cool, roughly chop and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, a couple pinches of salt and saute until soft, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved ancho chiles and minced chipotle. Cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the chocolate, cinnamon, cloves and garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant and the chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, almond butter, raisins and sesame seeds. Gently simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Place the mole into a blender and puree until smooth, about 1 minute. Adjust the seasoning if necessary. Add the mole back to the Dutch oven. Sprinkle the chicken on all sides with salt and pepper. Lay the chicken in the sauce in one layer, making sure each breast is entirely coated, and gently simmer, flipping once during cooking, until the breasts register 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside off the heat and let rest.
• Using your hands, remove the skin and meat from the bones and discard. Shred the chicken into smaller chunks and place back into the mole to keep warm. Season if necessary.
• For the sandwich build: Heat the refried beans in the microwave until warm. Spread on the bottom of the bolillo rolls. Place the chicken on top of the beans with a little extra mole. Place some queso fresco on top of the chicken, slather the top bun with sour cream and adhere the lettuce. Top with the pickled jalapenos and cilantro and drizzle with the Tomatillo Salsa. Close, cut sharply on the bias and serve with fresh lime wedges. Two hands, bite hard.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Toss the tomatillos, garlic, pepper and onions with the olive oil and place evenly on a baking sheet. Bake until the tomatillos and onions are soft, 15 to 20 minutes. If necessary, remove the garlic sooner to avoid scorching. Remove the stem, ribs and seeds from the jalapeno (or keep them in if you want it hot). Add roasted vegetables, fresh cilantro and lime juice into a blender and puree until smooth. Adjust the seasoning if necessary and transfer to a bowl.

Steps:

• Make chicken broth: In a deep stockpot, place the chicken, onion, cloves, peppercorns, parsley, and garlic and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook until the chicken is completely cooked through and tender. Remove chicken from the broth and reserve; cover and refrigerate as you will not be using it for a while. Let the broth cool. Skim any fat from the surface and then divide broth into 2 equal-size batches.
• In a hot, dry, large skillet roast the chiles and then add them to 1 half of the broth. In the same skillet, toast the black peppercorns and cinnamon stick separately over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute, and then add them to the chicken broth with the chiles.
• In the same skillet, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onion and saute until transparent; remove onion and reserve. To the hot oil, add the chopped garlic and saute until fragrant, being careful not to burn it; remove garlic and reserve. To the hot oil, add the plantain slices and fry until golden; remove plantain and reserve. To the hot oil, add the peanuts and fry until golden; remove peanuts and reserve. To the hot oil, add the tortilla and fry until crisp; remove tortilla and reserve. Finally, fry the bread in the hot oil until crisp; remove bread and reserve.
• Add everything that has just been fried to the chicken broth with the chiles. Add the chocolate, raisins, and the roasted tomato to this same mixture and stir to combine. In batches, add mixture to a blender and blend until smooth*. Pour the blended mixture into a large bowl.
• In a dry medium saucepan over medium heat, roast the sesame seeds until they are fragrant; do not brown. Transfer the sesame seeds to the blender with half of the remaining plain chicken broth and blend until smooth*. Add sesame seed mixture to the large bowl with the other pureed ingredients. In the same saucepan, roast the squash seeds over medium heat until they become puffy. Transfer the squash seeds to the blender with the remaining chicken broth and blend until smooth*. Add squash seed mixture to the large bowl with everything else.
• In a "cazuela" or a large, heavy-bottomed wide pot, heat the remaining 1 cup of oil over high heat. When the oil is really hot, add the mole, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally so that it does not stick to the pot. Then add the chicken and simmer for another 15 minutes. Serve with tortillas.

Steps:

• For mole, remove stem and seeds from peppers; coarsely chop peppers and set aside.
• In a large skillet cook onion and garlic in hot oil over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until onions are brown.
• Add the dried peppers and 1/2 cup water; reduce heat and stir in chocolate.
• Cook and stir over medium heat, uncovered, for 3 to 5 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Cool slightly.
• Transfer mixture to a food processor bowl or blender container; cover and process or blend until a smooth paste.
• Set aside to cool. Reserve 1 to 2 tablespoons mole.
• Season chicken with salt, if desired. Using a sharp knife, carefully butterfly-cut each breast; spread inside face of each breast with mole. Fold closed.
• Rub the outside of each breast with reserved mole.
• Grill breasts on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 12 to 15 minutes or until tender and no longer pink, turning once halfway through. Cover and chill.
• In a small bowl stir together avocado, light mayonnaise dressing, salt, and the ground red pepper, if desired.
• Slice chicken into 1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick slices.
• Spread avocado mixture on split rolls; layer with chicken, romaine, and tomato slices. Garnish with sliced papaya.
• Serve open-faced.
• Make-Ahead Tip: Up to 8 hours ahead, prepare and grill the chicken. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Steps:

• Toast guajillo chiles, ancho chiles, and chipotle chiles in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until warm and aromatic, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the blender with chicken broth.
• Heat 2 cups chicken broth in a saucepan until it begins to simmer, about 5 minutes. Pour broth into a blender.
• Toast dinner roll pieces and tortilla strips in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the blender with chicken broth and chiles
• Allow the chiles and toasted bread and tortillas to soak, fully submerged, in the chicken broth until softened, about 10 minutes. Blend the mixture until smooth.
• Cook tomatoes and tomatillos in a dry skillet on medium-high heat until soft and blackened, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Place tomatoes in the blender with the chile puree.
• Melt lard in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, garlic, peanuts, raisins, cumin seeds, thyme, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and allspice berries; cook and stir until onions are soft and golden, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the cinnamon sticks and other whole spices; add onion mixture to the blender with the chile-tomato mixture and blend until smooth.
• Pour chile puree into a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in chocolate chicken broth, sugar, and salt. Bring mixture to a simmer; stir until chocolate is melted and sauce is thickened and slightly reduced, 10 to 15 minutes.