3 Moles a la Frida

So, in the last post we covered a simpler but delish mole.  Now it's time to get your hands dirty but try to think of it in a romantic sense.  These next 3 moles are out of Frida's Fiestas.  Those of you who know me understand how much I love her, her artwork, her story, her home, her lifestyle, her love for her husband, well everything about her pretty much.  She loved entertaining and traditional rituals.  In a sense, she was no different then the typical "ama de casa", much like my aunts in Nicaragua today.  Strong women running a tight ship and keeping the family respectable, happy and well fed.  She had stepdaughters (no children of her own) and they wrote a book in honour of the many celebrations Frida loved to hold, and of course traditional Mexican food was the highlight, along with the guests, the music and drinking late into the evening, mole often partaking in many of these celebrations.  Here are 3 mole recipes, which I discussed previously; black mole, red mole and yellow mole.  Don't be afraid to be adventurous.  As you can see these recipes were created to accommodate larger parties, especially the first one.

Black Mole from Oaxaca

Serves 16 to 20 

Ingredients

1 Pound/500g chihuacle chiles

1/2 Pound/250g mulato chiles, seeded and deveined, seeds reserved

1/2 Pound/250g pasilla chiles,  seeded and deveined, seeds reserved

3/4 Pound/375g  lard (you can use beef dripping)

2 Large onions, roasted

1 Head garlic, roasted 

3 Stale corn tortillas

2 Slices egg bread

3/4 Cup/100g blanched almonds

1/2 Cup/75g shelled peanuts

1 Cinnamon stick

1/2 Cup/70g sesame seeds

1/2 Cup/60g shelled pumpkin seeds

Pinch of anise seeds

1 Teaspoon cumin seeds

1 Teaspoon dried thyme

1 Teaspoon dried marjoram

1 Teaspoon dried oregano 

10 Coriander seeds

10 Black peppercorns

8 Cloves

3/4 Cup/100g raisins

3 Large bars Mexican chocolate or semisweet chocolate

4 Pounds/2k ripe tomatoes, roasted and peeled (vine tomatoes are great for this)

1 Pound/500g small green tomatoes

8 Tablespoons lard

Sugar and Salt

2 Guajolotes (small turkeys) or 4 small chickens cut into pieces and cooked in a strong broth with carrots, onions and herbs.  

Preparation

Quickly fry the chiles in hot lard, being careful not to let them burn.  Place the fried chiles in a large saucepan in hot water to cover.  Bring to a boil, then simmer until soft.

In the same hot lard, saute the garlic onions until translucent then saute the garlic.  Add the tortillas, bread, almonds, peanuts, cinnamon, reserved chile seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, anise seeds, cumin seeds, thyme, marjoram, oregano, coriander seeds, peppercorns, cloves, raisins and chocolate.  Saute for a few minutes.

Puree this mixture with the tomatoes and the chiles.  Strain puree and cook in 8 tablespoons of lard.  Stir in sugar and salt to taste and 2 cups/500 ml of the turkey broth.  Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the turkey, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes to blend flavors.  If the mixture is too thick, add more turkey broth as needed.
Note:  Chihuacles are special chiles from Oaxaca; you can subsitute with cascabel chiles

Red Mole

8 servings

Ingredients

3 Pounds/1.500g loin of pork

1 Onion, quartered

1 Garlic clove

1 Bay leaf 
Salt

Sauce

8 Ancho chiles

8 Guajillo chiles

3 Tomatoes, roasted and peeled 

8 Allspice berries

3 Cloves

1 Cinnamon stick

3/4 Cup/90g sesame seeds, toasted

1 Ripe plantain, peeled and cut into chunks

1 Medium onion, chopped

3 Tablespoons lard

Salt

3 Acuyo (hierba santa) leaves, chopped 

8 Medium potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes

Dumplings

1/2 Pound/250g masa harina

1/4 Pound/125g lard

Salt

Preparation

Combine the pork, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and salt to taste in a saucepan and add enough water to cover.  Cook until the meat is tender about 1 hour.  Drain the meat, let cool slightly, and slice.  Reserve the broth.

To make the sauce, roast the chiles for a few seconds.  Remove the seeds, then soak for 20 minutes in very hot water.  Puree the chiles with their soaking water and strain.  Puree the tomatoes, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, two-thirds of the sesame seeds and the plantain. Strain.

Saute the onion in the hot lard until translucent.  Add the tomato mixture and cook for 5 minutes more.  Add the acuyo leaves, cubed potatoes, and enough of the meat broth to make a medium thick sauce.  Cook about 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender.  Add the sliced meat.  Gently stir in the dumplings.  cook for 10 minutes more.  To serve, sprinkle with the rest of the sesame seeds.  

To make the dumplings, beat the masa harina thoroughly with the lard and salt to taste. Shape into little balls and poke a small hole with your fingers in the center of each.  Enjoy!

How to roast chiles with Rockin Robin

Holy Mole

Puebla

The summer is on its way, however UK residents know the warm weather is never consistent, so occasionally those in between days still require a belly warming meal to bring us comfort from the often rainy weather.  A favorite dish that does just this is mole.  There is the much loved Mole Poblano and the 7 types of mole from Oaxaca.  I am sure there are many more but 7 types of mole are enough for me to digest.  Mole Poblano is a rich, generally spicy sauce (though chiles can be removed) made with bitter chocolate, chiles, seeds, nuts, sometimes fruit, bread for thickening and various spices.

There are many claims to its origin, although it is most popular in Central and Southern Mexico, in particular Oaxaca and Puebla.  The chiles most used for mole are pasilla, ancho, chipotle and mulata.  Like tamales, Mole sauce made in the traditional way can be very time consuming.  I have sourced a much simpler recipe for you, but if you are a purist then I will also share a more authentic recipe.  Mole sauce can be prepared with chicken, pork or beef but is tradtionally paired with turkey.  The ingredients are roasted and ground into a paste and then made into a sauce generally mixed with a stock.  So let's educate all of you on this matter before beginning your culinary journey into the earthy, complex world of mole sauces.  Mole in a way is a generic name for "Sauce".

Mole Coloradito

Mole Negro (black), is the more popular rich, dark mole eaten throughout most of America and most likely your introduction into mole like it was for me in Mexico's City's airport.  This moles consists of bitter chocolate, pumpkin and sesame seeds, chiles, coriander, hoja santa (a leaf herb which adds to it dark colour), dried fruit and whole spices that are ground down such as cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper.

Mole Rojo (Red), is also known as the coveted Mole Poblano.  Its ingredients are almost identical to Mole Negro, only spicier, sweeter and redder in colour due to the use of dried red chiles.

Ancho, pasilla and guajillo chiles bring the spiciness up a notch, while grounds almonds, peanuts and raisins give the mole a delicate sweetness.  A definite must try.

Mole Verde (Green), is a bit more common than some of the others I am about to enlighten you with and is most consumed with chicken.  A good amount of pumpkin seeds, tomatillos, coriander and jalapenos are the contributors to its green colour and lighter taste.

Mole Amarillo (yellow) slightly resembles an Indian curry.  The sweet ingredients including the chocolate are eliminated while the rest of the ingredients resemble those in the moles mentioned earlier.  It is a more savoury sauce.

Mole Colaradito (shade of red/tinted) contains the usual whole spices, garlic, seeds, chocolate and plantains.  The plantains infuse a sweetness and thickness to this lovely mole.

Chichilo Mole is a bit more labour intense, one I will leave to the Mexican grandmothers.  Beginning with a homemade beef stock, arbol guajillo, ancho chiles, onions, garlic, masa harina, or crushed fresh tortillas.  The chocolate is eliminated in this one as well.  Fantastic with braised meats.

Manchamantel Mole (table-cloth staining) does exactly that, with ingredients like chorizo, tomatoes, and ancho chiles.  Plantains and pineapple add a zingy sweetness to this spicy concoction.  I honestly will be dreaming of this one for a while.

Article written by Michelle Cuadra

Chili 101

Chile 101

So in terms of using different types of chiles, we have to understand that these bad boys give an intensity to many dishes and range from a very mild to scorching hot heat.  To be able to execute some of the dishes on this blog with authenticity you will need to access some of these chiles, but it is for the greater good.  Once you have them down you can begin to experiment.  Of course, some chiles really shine in certain dishes like the first chile I am going to cover, which is usually used in mole dishes. The Pasilla Chile, which is a fruity, earthy chile with a mild to medium heat 5 to 8 inches in length, in Spanish Pasilla means "little raisin" which gives you an idea what sort of fruity flavours you will be enjoying. The Pasilla chile in its fresh form is known as the Chilaca chile.  This chile is fantastic in almost any sauce.  I order the dried version of these through the Cool Chile Co. which also sells them in powdered form.

Viva Mexico! Mexican Flautas

One of my favorite holidays growing up in America is Cinco de Mayo. It is one of America's best loved holidays, a symbol of Mexican heritage and pride, and also commemorates the victory of a greatly outnumbered Mexican army fought against well armed French soldiers and the end of European invasion in the Latin Americas. In the United Kingdom it is not celebrated, but why not give it a go? Serve up Chilled Margaritas on the rocks, chips and salsa and some great Mexican dishes like these Mexican flautas. Flour tortillas are easily accessible in the United Kingdom and this dish is very doable and delicious.

Mexican Flautas

Ingredients

1. 18 Flour tortillas
2. 1/2 Kilogram Beef Brisket, cooked and shredded apart (I love to use the slow cooker and reserve any juices towards the beef stock)
3. 10 Dried Pasilla chilies, deseeded and soaked until soft.  If you cannot locate Pasilla chilies use 1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes for each Pasilla chili, although you will not get the earthy, raisin like sweetness of a Pasilla.  Make sure you taste as you go along with the red pepper flakes.)
4. 2 Cloves of garlic
5. 1 1/2 cups beef stock (Great if you can use the juices from the Brisket as well)
6. Vegetable oil, for frying
7. 1 Cup of sour cream
8. 1/2 cup grated Cotija cheese, but of course these cheeses generally have to be ordered online in the UK.  Cotija is also known as the Mexican Parmesan.  Replace Cotija with Parmesan if you don't have time to order. 
9. 1 Onion, minced

Cooking Method

In a blender or food processor, liquefy the chilies, garlic and beef stock.  Mix 1/3 of the sauce with the shredded beef and place some into each flour tortilla.  Roll the flour tortillas containing the mixture tightly and secure with a wooden cocktail stick.  Fry in hot oil until golden brown.  Serve with the remaining sauce poured over them, then layer the sour cream, Parmesan and minced onion on top. Also, serve with Mexican rice, refried pinto beans and guacamole for dipping if you wish.

Serves 6  
3 per serving