Soledads Tamal Oaxaqueno De Mole Con Pollo Recipes

Steps:

• Beat 9 ounces lard in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Add salt and continue beating for a few minutes. Add masa harina and beat well until combined. Add chicken broth, 1/4 cup at a time, beating until masa has a smooth and workable consistency similar to cookie dough, about 3/4 cup total. Test if the masa is ready by dropping a small ball of masa into a glass of cold water; if it floats, it's ready, if not, beat the dough a little longer.
• Combine tomatillos, ancho chile pepper, mulato chile pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, and oregano in a blender; blend until smooth.
• Heat remaining 2 ounces lard in a skillet and cook tomatillo sauce until lightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add shredded chicken and a little of the remaining chicken broth. Cook over low heat until chicken filling has thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons masa mixture onto 1 banana leaf, filling it up to 2 inches from the bottom and 1/4 inch from the top. Add 1 tablespoon of the chicken filling in the center of the masa mixture. Fold sides of banana leaf together, one over the other. Fold the bottom of the banana leaf over the seam of the 2 folded sides and tie together with kitchen string. Repeat with remaining banana leaves.
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add tamales with the open side up and cook until filling is heated through and separates from the leaf, 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours. Let tamales rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Place chicken, garlic, and peppercorns in a medium stockpot. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until cooked through, 35 to 45 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, reserving liquid. Let chicken stand until cool enough to handle. Remove meat, and shred into bite-size pieces; set aside. Discard skin and bones.
• If banana leaves are thick and not supple, they need to be steamed: Pour a couple of inches of water in a large pot, and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Roll banana leaves loosely, and arrange in a steamer basket. Place basket over water, cover, and steam leaves until pliable, about 30 minutes.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine masa, 1/2 cup reserved chicken-cooking liquid (freeze remaining liquid for another use), salt, and shortening, and beat on medium until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes; set aside
• Place a 12-inch piece of banana leaf on a flat work surface (if leaves are smaller, you can use a few to create one larger surface). Spread a very thin layer of the masa mixture (about 1/4 inch thick) over the banana leaf, leaving a 1-inch border. Place 1/2 cup of shredded chicken in center of the masa. Pour 1/4 cup mole over chicken. Fold edges up and over to enclose filling and form a packet. Repeat with remaining leaves, masa, chicken, and mole (reserve 1 1/2 cups mole for serving).
• Bring a pot of water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Arrange masa packets in steamer. Place over water, cover, and steam for 1 hour.
• To serve, use a serrated knife to cut a cross in the center of the package. Pull back corners, exposing tamale. Drizzle with remaining mole, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Steps:

• In a 2 gallon stockpot, heat 5 quarts water and onions, celery, and carrots to a boil. Add chicken pieces and poach, covered, over low heat for about 35 to 45 minutes, until cooked through and juices run clear when pierced with a fork. Remove the meat from the stock. Strain and reserve the stock.
• Heat 2 quarts of water in a kettle. On a 10-inch dry comal, griddle, or in a cast-iron frying pan, toast the chiles over medium heat until blackened, but not burnt, about 10 minutes. Place the chiles in a large bowl, cover with hot water, and soak for 1/2 hour. Remove the chiles from the soaking water with tongs, placing small batches in a blender with 1/4 cup of the chile soaking water to blend smooth. Put the chile puree through a strainer to remove the skins.
• In the same dry comal, griddle, or frying pan, grill the onion and garlic over medium heat for 10 minutes. Set aside. Toast the almonds, peanuts, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, and cloves in a dry comal, griddle or cast-iron frying pan for about 5 minutes. Remove them from the pan.
• Over the same heat, toast the chile seeds, taking care to blacken but not burn them, about 20 minutes. Try to do this outside or in a well-ventilated place because the seeds will give off very strong fumes. When the seeds are completely black, light them with a match and let them burn themselves out. Remove from the heat and place in a bowl. Soak the blackened seeds in 1 cup of cold water for 10 minutes. Drain the seeds and grind them in a blender for about 2 minutes. Add the blended chile seeds to the blended chile mixture.
• Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in an 8-inch cast-iron frying pan over medium heat until smoking. Add the raisins and fry them until they are plump, approximately 1 minute. Remove from the pan. Fry the bread slice in the same oil until browned, about 5 minutes, over medium heat. Remove from pan. Fry the plantain in the same oil until it is well browned, approximately 10 minutes, over medium heat. Set aside. Fry the sesame seeds, stirring constantly over low heat, adding more oil if needed. When the sesame seeds start to brown, about 5 minutes, add the pecans and brown for 2 minutes more. Remove all from the pan, let cool, and grind finely in a spice grinder. It takes a bit of time, but this is the only way to grind the seeds and nuts finely enough.
• Wipe out the frying pan and fry the tomatoes, tomatillos, thyme, and oregano over medium to high heat, allowing the juices to almost evaporate, about 15 minutes. Blend well, using 1/2 cup of reserved stock if needed to blend and set aside. Place the nuts, bread, plantains, raisins, onion, garlic and spices in the blender in small batches, and blend well, adding about 1 cup of stock to make it smooth.
• In a heavy 4-quart stockpot, heat 2 tablespoons of lard or oil until smoking and fry the chile paste over medium to low heat, stirring constantly so it will not burn, approximately 20 minutes. When it is dry, add the tomato puree and fry until the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add the ground ingredients, including the sesame seed paste, to the pot. Stir constantly with a wooden soon until well-incorporated, about 10 minutes. Add 1 cup chicken stock to the mole, stir well, and allow to cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Break up the chocolate and add to the pot, stirring until it is melted and incorporated into the mixture.
• Toast the avocado leaf briefly over the flame if you have a gas range or in a dry frying pan and then add it to the pot. Slowly add more stock to the mole, as it will keep thickening as it cooks. Add enough salt to bring out the flavor. Let simmer another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally so it does not stick, adding stock as needed. The mole should not be thick; just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• Place the cooked chicken pieces in the leftover stock in a saucepan and heat through.
• To serve, place a piece of chicken in a shallow bowl and ladle 3/4 of a cup of mole sauce over to cover it completely. Serve immediately with lots of hot corn tortillas.
• You can use oil instead of lard to fry the mole, but the flavor will change dramatically. In our pueblo, people traditionally use turkey instead of chicken, and sometimes add pieces of pork and beef to enhance the flavor. You can use leftover mole and chicken meat to make Enmoladas or Tamales Oazaquenos made with banana leaves.
• Inspired by Maria Taboada and Paula Martinez

Steps:

• Thoroughly thaw the banana leaves, taking care not to break the leaves when unfolding them. Place the leaves on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to remove the hard center rib. Using a moist towel, clean the leaves. Reserve a few leaves and cut the rest crosswise into 10-by-12-inch rectangles.
• Place the masa in a bowl. Spoon some of the residual oil from the mole that separated while frying into the masa-just enough to slightly color the masa. Mix in the lard and knead for about 10 minutes, adding enough chicken broth to form a soft dough. Continue kneading for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt.
• Arrange a banana leaf rectangle, smooth side down, on a work surface and top with a large spoonful of masa. Spread the masa to cover the entire leaf with a thin, even layer. Place three pieces of chicken in the center of the leaf and cover with two tablespoons of mole. Fold in thirds, as if folding a letter, then tuck the ends under. Repeat with remaining banana leaves, chicken, and mole.
• Fill a large steamer or tamalera with salted water to just below the steamer rack and bring to a boil. Arrange the tamales in a crisscross pattern on the rack, leaving enough space between them to allow steam to circulate. Cover the tamales with the reserved banana leaves and cover the pot with a lid. Steam the tamales at a full boil for about 1 hour and serve.

Steps:

• Heat a shallow layer of oil in a very large skillet, or use two skillets.
• Brown chicken in oil on both sides; add water to cover and simmer 30 minutes.
• While chicken is cooking, make the sauce by placing all remaining ingredients (except bay leaf) in a blender and processing until smooth.
• When chicken is done, drain broth and reserve.
• Add 1 to 1 1/2 cup of broth to sauce.
• Blend, pour over chicken in skillet, add bay leaf, and cook on low heat for 35 more minutes.

Steps:

• In a large dry skillet over medium heat, toast ancho, guajillo, and cascabel chiles in batches until fragrant but not burned, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, add 6 cups hot water, and let soak for 1 hour.
• In the same dry skillet, toast sesame seeds, shaking pan constantly, until golden brown and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat process with peanuts, almonds, and pecans. Add raisins to skillet, and cook for about 30 seconds. Add to bowl with nut mixture.
• Raise heat under the skillet to medium-high, and add onions and garlic. Cook until slightly charred; add to bowl with the nuts.
• In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add plantains, and cook until golden; add to bowl with nut mixture.
• Place tortilla directly over a medium flame, turning it until blackened. Add to bowl with nut mixture.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add tomatoes, and cook for 3 minutes; use a slotted spoon to transfer to bowl with the nut mixture. Add tomatillos to boiling water, and cook for 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to bowl with nut mixture.
• In a large stockpot, cook cinnamon stick, peppercorns, and cloves over medium heat until fragrant, 10 to 20 seconds. Add the soaked chiles with their liquid, the nut mixture, the bread, thyme, and oregano. Remove from heat.
• Use an immersion blender to puree (or puree in batches in a blender). Strain through a medium sieve into a second stockpot. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally and taking care not to burn, for 2 hours. Add chocolate, stirring, until completely melted. If using for tamales, thin with chicken stock to a pouring consistency.