Food-Main Dishes,  Recipes-Main Dishes

Chicken Mole

This is recipe that i tried from Jamie Oliver’s cookbook , the American cookbook of his . Well , it was also , my very first time trying a dinner meal that has chocolate in its ingredients . It was a little strange , ever since i moved here , and lived here , i learned there was this dish that was called Mole , that has chocolate in it . I never wanted to try it , because my brain just tells me , chocolate doesn’t belong in a dinner meal , well unless you’re talking about chocolate lava cake .. well that’s different , but that’s dessert . We’re talking about main dish .. with chocolate ? that seems odd .

Years and years later , now .. i thought .. i am adventurous enough with food , and why not giving it a try . Just like i keep telling my son , don’t say you don’t like the food until you try it . No matter how odd it sounds .. just give it a try . Yet , i am not willing to pay it at the restaurant to order Chicken Mole . Instead of chose to make it from the cookbook . From a brit !! LOL ..

So anyway , i told my family that i will be making chicken mole , with chocolate in it .. my 8 years old son gave me the look .. and said ” YOU’RE COOKING CHICKEN WITH CHOCOLATE ? EWWW … ”

Though he said ewww .. but he’s willing to give it a try , as long as it’s not spicy , he’s willing to try it . My son ended up loving the chicken mole , he said it is delicious . My husband said this is just how he remembers it , he had chicken mole sometimes before we got married . And he said this is just how it’s supposed to be . I , on the other hand , can’t get it past my head that the flavor actually combines good , and gives out a rich flavor , but the thought of chocolate in there .. still makes me feel strange , and i kept telling myself chocolate isn’t supposed to be there with onion , cumin , garlic .. etc ..

As for you , i don’t know , you might like it , you might not , just give it a try !! And you’ll find out !

Direction : 

For the chicken :

5 lbs of chicken , organic would be better

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 onions , peeled and quartered

2 celery stalks , roughly chopped

6 fresh bay leaves

2 cinnamon sticks

10 black peppercorns

4 cloves of garlic , peeled

Put all these ingredients in a large pot , and bring to boil , skim off all the foamy stuff floating , and cover with lid , simmer , cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes . The chicken should be very tender , falling off the bone by then . Meanwhile , prepare the mole sauce .

For the sauce :

5 large dried red chiles

olive oil

2 onions , peeled and roughly chopped

1 tsp. cumin seeds

1 tsp. cinnamon , ground

2 tsp. sesame seeds

1 -14 oz diced tomatoes

2 heaped tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

salt and pepper

1-4oz good quality bittersweet chocolate 70% cocoa solid

1. In a large bowl , add boiling water to the 5 large dried chiles , let it soak for 15 minutes .

2. After it’s done soaking , in a medium pot , heat olive oil , add garlic , onion and the chiles , cumin seeds and cinnamon , cook about 15 minutes on low . Then add the sesame seeds and canned tomatoes , fill the can with the water from soaking chiles , add them into the pot , and bring to boil for 5 minutes . Add cocoa powder , salt and pepper stir well , cook for 5 more minutes . Then add the chocolate chunks , and stir .

3. Pour into the food processor , and start pulsing it until it’s super smooth and silky . Add a little of red wine vinegar to add a little acidity .

4. Serve it with white rice , chicken , and the sauce on top of as a dipping sauce .

Chicken Mole

 

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