Catching up.
Jan. 18th, 2007 10:37 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madbakerThis week's Resolution Recipe: Mole Coloradito
8 dried ancho or mulato chiles
8 dried guajillo or New Mexico chiles
1/2 cup raisins (I used golden raisins)
1 large unpeeled onion, quartered
8 (or more!) unpeeled garlic cloves
a 2" true cinnamon stick
1/2 cup unblanched whole almonds
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt and pepper to taste
3 tomatoes
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
one 2-oz tablet Mexican chocolate, chopped
Chicken broth as necessary (I omitted it as the tomato puree was quite thin)
toasted sesame seeds and julienned green onions for garnish (I forgot these)
Slit the chiles open down the side, removing seeds and stems. On a hot griddle toast the chiles on both sides, flattening with a spatula, until the skins blister and change color. Put the chiles in a bowl, add raisins, and cover with hot water to soak for 30 minutes. Drain and puree, adding a little water as necessary to make a puree. Strain through a medium sieve into a bowl.
Reheat the griddle and toast the onion and garlic until they have just a few blackened spots. Peel them and add to the (now cleaned) blender. Toast the cinnamon briefly on the griddle until fragrant and add to the blender. Toast the almonds likewise and, you guessed it, add to the blender along with the thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper. Puree, adding water as necessary. Strain into the chile puree.
Place the tomatoes on the griddle and turn occasionally, just until they have a few blackened spots - they shouldn't be completely soft. Peel, puree in the blender, and strain.
Heat the oil in a deep piot. Add the chile mixture (it will splatter, as my now-stained cookbook will attest) and cook, stirring, for a few minutes to toast and concentrate the flavors. Add the chocolate, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes until thickened. Add the tomato puree and stir for a few more minutes. Thin as necessary with chicken stock and heat through before use. Good over chicken or shrimp.
What worked: It made an excellent shrimp mole dinner with tortillas and Spanish rice. I made a half batch and we still have another dinner's worth of sauce in the freezer.
What didn't: I understand that this is only semi-traditional. What is traditional about it was the massive time and effort involved. Good grief.
Also, the chile lady at the farmer's market wasn't there; I had to go to the Hispanic section in the Slaveway, and wound up with strictly New Mexico chiles. They weren't as hot as I'd like and the mole flavor balance was on the sweet side.
Will I make it again? No. It was good, but not good enough to warrant all the effort vs. buying a jar at the store.
8 dried ancho or mulato chiles
8 dried guajillo or New Mexico chiles
1/2 cup raisins (I used golden raisins)
1 large unpeeled onion, quartered
8 (or more!) unpeeled garlic cloves
a 2" true cinnamon stick
1/2 cup unblanched whole almonds
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt and pepper to taste
3 tomatoes
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
one 2-oz tablet Mexican chocolate, chopped
Chicken broth as necessary (I omitted it as the tomato puree was quite thin)
toasted sesame seeds and julienned green onions for garnish (I forgot these)
Slit the chiles open down the side, removing seeds and stems. On a hot griddle toast the chiles on both sides, flattening with a spatula, until the skins blister and change color. Put the chiles in a bowl, add raisins, and cover with hot water to soak for 30 minutes. Drain and puree, adding a little water as necessary to make a puree. Strain through a medium sieve into a bowl.
Reheat the griddle and toast the onion and garlic until they have just a few blackened spots. Peel them and add to the (now cleaned) blender. Toast the cinnamon briefly on the griddle until fragrant and add to the blender. Toast the almonds likewise and, you guessed it, add to the blender along with the thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper. Puree, adding water as necessary. Strain into the chile puree.
Place the tomatoes on the griddle and turn occasionally, just until they have a few blackened spots - they shouldn't be completely soft. Peel, puree in the blender, and strain.
Heat the oil in a deep piot. Add the chile mixture (it will splatter, as my now-stained cookbook will attest) and cook, stirring, for a few minutes to toast and concentrate the flavors. Add the chocolate, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes until thickened. Add the tomato puree and stir for a few more minutes. Thin as necessary with chicken stock and heat through before use. Good over chicken or shrimp.
What worked: It made an excellent shrimp mole dinner with tortillas and Spanish rice. I made a half batch and we still have another dinner's worth of sauce in the freezer.
What didn't: I understand that this is only semi-traditional. What is traditional about it was the massive time and effort involved. Good grief.
Also, the chile lady at the farmer's market wasn't there; I had to go to the Hispanic section in the Slaveway, and wound up with strictly New Mexico chiles. They weren't as hot as I'd like and the mole flavor balance was on the sweet side.
Will I make it again? No. It was good, but not good enough to warrant all the effort vs. buying a jar at the store.
