Mole (MOH-lay) is a Mexican sauce that comes in about as many varieties as there are households in the country. Puebla and Oaxaca are two regions known for their moles with varieties including Verde (green), Negro (black), and Rojo (red). Mole Poblano from Puebla is perhaps the best known with its rusty red sauce enveloping cuts of turkey. Though opinions on this tend to vary, it's also considered to be Mexico's national dish. Despite the huge variation in preparations, one thing they have in common is that they all take a lot of time and loving care to make.
I made this dish as my submission for this month's Dinner and a Movie event. It's a monthly food event where a movie is chosen and participants use the movie as inspiration for creating a dish. Since this month's movie was Chocolat, it only seemed natural to make a dish featuring chocolate.
For those that haven't seen the movie, it's about a mother daughter pair that blow into a staid French village with the "west wind" during Lent. Like a breath of fresh air, their arrival brings new life to the town. Her knack for making sinfully delicious chocolates makes friends quickly, but also sends the town's conservative mayor on a crusade against them. About midway through the movie, Vianne throws a party for her landlady's birthday and invites most of the town. There's a dish served covered in a rich red sauce that makes the guests' eyes roll back in utter bliss.
The audience is left to guess what the dish is, but given the character's Latin American background I'd always imagined it was a rich velvety mole. If you've never tasted these flavours before, it truly is a throw-your-head-back-in-pleasure kind of experience. The sauce is redolent of roasted chilies, seeds and spices giving it an indescribably complex aroma. As it hits your tongue, it's spicy, savoury, sweet, and just a little bitter, with a familiar nutty richness coming from the chocolate.
Regular readers know I'm generally against sauces that cover up the flavors of a dish, but in this case, the sauce really IS the dish. I've heard many people dismiss mole as overly sweet and heavy-handed, and when it comes to canned sauces used in many restaurants, this is certainly true. A truly good mole however, is well balanced and has layers of flavors that aren't immediately apparent. Mole is the kind of food with such nuanced complexity, that it needs to be consumed in a quiet setting with your eyes closed to taste all the subtleties.
This one will take some time to make. It is a process to be experienced more than just a recipe. If this is your first time, give yourself 2-3 hours, which by mole standards is down-right quick. Spending the time to roast, toast, and brown each ingredient is absolutely worth it. Not just for the end result, but because each step fills the kitchen with a new aroma. These aromas crescendo as they come together, filling your home with a symphony of smells.
I used rabbit because it is very French. If you can't find it in your area, feel free to substitute chicken or turkey instead. You'll also have quite a bit of sauce left, which you can freeze and use later to braise other meats in.
I served this with homemade tortillas, but it would have been just as tasty with a crusty baguette. The mole was also accompanied by a sliced avocado, cilantro and lime wedges for a bit of contrast and freshness.
Recipe
Red Mole Sauce (Conejo en Mole Rojo)
Ingredients
- 3 - 4 pounds rabbit cut into pieces
- 2.5 ounces dried ancho chiles
- 2 ounces dried guajillo chiles
- cooking spray
- ¼ cups raw almonds
- ¼ cups pumpkin seeds shelled
- ¼ cups raisins
- 2 tablespoons chilli pepper seeds (from the ancho and guajillo chiles)
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- ½ pod star anise
- 6 cloves whole
- 1 cinnamon stick pulverized
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon dried epazote
- 1 bay leaf large
- ¼ cups masa harina
- 3 medium tomatillos scored so they don't pop
- 1 small tomato scored
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 6 cloves garlic
- 4 cups low sodium chicken stock
- salt (to taste)
- 2 rounds Ibarra Mexican chocolate
Instructions
- Place the oven rack in the middle position and heat to 350 degrees F.
- Tear the tops off the 2.5 ounces dried ancho chiles and 2 ounces dried guajillo chiles and empty the seeds into a small bowl. Discard the stems and any membranes and tear the chilies into flat pieces. Place them on a foil lined baking sheet in a single layer. Spray generously with cooking spray. Place them in the oven and allow to roast for 5-10 minutes or until they change color and a spicy caramel aroma floats through the kitchen. Be careful not to burn them as this will make your mole taste bitter. Once out of the oven, put them in a bowl and cover with warm water to rehydrate.
- Put the ¼ cups raw almonds, ¼ cups pumpkin seeds and ¼ cups raisins on the baking sheet, spray with cooking spray and return to the oven until the pumpkin seeds take on a golden color and the raisins are slightly puffy. Again, be careful not to burn them. Set the pan aside and allow to cool.
- In a heavy bottomed pan like a cast iron skillet, toast the 2 tablespoons chilli pepper seeds, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, ½ pod star anise, 6 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick and ½ teaspoon black peppercorns until the sesame seeds just start to change color and the whole thing smells sweet, nutty and spicy like incense.
- Transfer the seeds and spices to a food processor and process for a few minutes or until it's ground into a powder. Add the roasted almonds, pumpkin seeds and raisins and blitz until there are no chunks. Add the ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano, ⅛ teaspoon dried epazote, 1 bay leaf and ¼ cups masa harina and continue to process until it turns into a powder.
- Move the oven rack to the top position and turn the broiler on. Place the 3 medium tomatillos, 1 small tomato, 1 medium onion sliced and 6 cloves garlic on a baking sheet and put it under the broiler. Let the tops of the tomatillos and tomato get completely charred before flipping to char the other side. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool a bit. Add to the food processor along with 1 cup of the 4 cups low sodium chicken stock and blitz with the spice/seed mixture until it's smooth. Transfer this mixture to a bowl, cover and set aside.
- Return the work bowl to the food processor and add the rehydrated chili peppers along with ¾ C of the soaking liquid. Process until smooth.
- Generously salt and pepper the 3 - 4 pounds rabbit. Heat a large dutch oven until hot, add a splash of oil then swirl to coat. Place the seasoned rabbit pieces in the pot and allow them to brown for 5-7 minutes without disturbing them. If you go to flip them and they're stuck to the pan they aren't ready to flip. Brown the other side then transfer to a plate.
- Turn the heat down, then pour the chili pepper puree into the pan through a single mesh strainer, pressing on the solids with a rubber spatula to remove all the skins. Deglaze the bottom of the pan and cook until the mixture is very thick. Pour the spice/seed mixture into the pot through the strainer pressing on any solids. Add the rest of the chicken stock and 2 rounds Ibarra Mexican chocolate, then salt to taste. If you like it even sweeter you can add more sugar.
- Return the rabbit to the pot and simmer uncovered over medium low heat until the rabbit is tender (about 1 hour).
- Serve with fresh tortillas, cilantro and lime wedges.
Notes
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Kathy Stroup says
This was so delicious, and fairly easy to make. I didn't use rabbit, though. The sauce was delightful with turkey. I would also use chicken, and I have leftover sauce that will be wonderful for making other dishes. Thank you for the method! It demystified mole for me!
Marc Matsumoto says
Great idea! I'm happy to hear you enjoyed it. I tend to wing moles these days with some combo of chiles, spices, seeds, stock, and chocolate. Love the idea of turkey chili as I'm not a huge fan of the flavor of turkey and I bet the spices and chiles do a nice job of smoothing those flavors over.
Julie says
I didn't like it. Too much chocolate and sugar - overpowered the other tastes. It was getting really good til I added those Ibarra rounds which are basically sugar and cocoa.
Brent Glines says
I made this recipe today for a birthday celebration
Debra says
I love mole and it really does take time to make so I double the recipe , use half and freeze the rest....it does freeze well....just the sauce, not with the meat.
Q Kh says
can cinnamon powder be substituted for pulverized cinnamon stick? and what else can be subbed for marjoram and masa harina, if anything?
Elvia Herrera says
I think you are about the only person who actually makes 'real' mole sauce. My mom's recipe is a little different but I'm actually glad that I found yours because I searched for this recipe and many people use either green peppers or chile powder, which I cannot believe. How can they call that mole? Idk, but your recipe is pretty decent. Thank you for sharing it.
Elvia Herrera says
I think you are about the only person who actually makes 'real' mole sauce. My mom's recipe is a little different but I'm actually glad that I found yours because I searched for this recipe and many people use either green peppers or chile powder, which I cannot believe. How can they call that mole? Idk, but your recipe is pretty decent. Thank you for sharing it.
Marc Matsumoto says
90 grams
Avid Ancho says
Thanks my mole sauce tasted weird the first time I made it cause I burned the sesame seeds, (of all things!) but true confessions I toasted the peppers and raisins in the air fryer so I didn't have to turn on my oven so much in the heat. But I had a lot of fun and I think it's a great recipe! Thanks so much. I will try it again sometime
Marilia says
Hi, we have 'raw' chocolate in Ireland which sounds like Mexican chocolate. I would love to try this recipe but have no idea how much a 'round' of chocolate is in weight. Can you help me out?
Robotoil says
Made this recipe. Worked out great. Plan for a lot of time at the end while the mole is reducing to stand by the pot and stir. Tasty.
Robotoil says
Made this recipe. Worked out great. Plan for a lot of time at the end while the mole is reducing to stand by the pot and stir. Tasty.
Eva says
I made this for my birthday! I picked this recipe over the Diane Kennedy recipes because it seemed more authentic. I live in a city that doesn't have good authentic Mexican food so if I want good Mexican food I have to make it myself. I have high expectations because I'm Mexican. It was a huge hit at the dinner table and perfect meal for a celebration.
Eva says
I made this for my birthday! I picked this recipe over the Diane Kennedy recipes because it seemed more authentic. I live in a city that doesn't have good authentic Mexican food so if I want good Mexican food I have to make it myself. I have high expectations because I'm Mexican. It was a huge hit at the dinner table and perfect meal for a celebration.
Monica says
Usually I stay away from foodie blogs that try and do Mexican dishes, since I'm Mexican and very proud of traditional methods of cooking and recipes; I usually get pissy and rant and rave and dismiss the recipe out of principal. In particular, being from Guanajuato/Jalisco area I immensely dislike Tex-Mex cuisine and given the preponderance of those recipes in the food bloggosphere, I'm usually annoyingly disappointed. I've read several of your Mexican dish recipes and while a cavil about certain ingredients and would do some dishes differently, you are about the only food blogger whose "take" on Mexican dishes does not grate on my nerves. Your mole blog (which to me, mole is the epitome of Mexican cuisine--one of the most intricate and delicate dishes one can make, one for celebration and family and tradition) plays a sweet tribute to this amazing dish. So thank you.
Monica says
Usually I stay away from foodie blogs that try and do Mexican dishes, since I'm Mexican and very proud of traditional methods of cooking and recipes; I usually get pissy and rant and rave and dismiss the recipe out of principal. In particular, being from Guanajuato/Jalisco area I immensely dislike Tex-Mex cuisine and given the preponderance of those recipes in the food bloggosphere, I'm usually annoyingly disappointed. I've read several of your Mexican dish recipes and while a cavil about certain ingredients and would do some dishes differently, you are about the only food blogger whose "take" on Mexican dishes does not grate on my nerves. Your mole blog (which to me, mole is the epitome of Mexican cuisine--one of the most intricate and delicate dishes one can make, one for celebration and family and tradition) plays a sweet tribute to this amazing dish. So thank you.
Cynthia says
I had decided to make shredded chicken in mole sauce for dinner one night this weekend and found your recipe while browsing online. I had hoped to just do it the easy way and find a spice mix or mole sauce at the grocery store, but the ingredients in the sauces I could find just didn't sound good enough. I had to sub a few ingredients that I couldn't find (Mexican chocolate being the most disappointing...), but the end result was worth the several hours of work! Delicious, and I learned a lot (mainly that I need a better/bigger food processor and some decent strainers)! If anyone else is planning to try this with the more basic end of kitchen appliances, I recommend adding extra water to the peppers after you purée them, then toss them in a good blender to get a better purée. Same goes for the spice/seed blend...add the chicken broth to the mixture, blend for a while, and then strain. The end result was smooth, earthy, extravagantly spicy (not hot...just rich)...delicious!
Shamanic_force says
I noticed, the author's commentary about rabbit not being a common Mexican food?
I dont know where you came to that conclusion, rabbits are a native Mexican food and all the tribes ate rabbit. We ate a lot of conejo en salsa when were kids in rural Mexico when meat is scarce wild game is a common staple. Nothing French about it..
Jessegxoxo says
I already make a Mole but with chicken. Rabbit isn't my thing but since I just inherited some dried red chili pepper from Arizona This recipe is next on my list! BUT WITH CHICKEN... lol
Mia Burgos says
What you had is a bride's mole. Sometimes called pipian I think.
Tmburke says
I made this yesterday but I served it with a roasted turkey. The reviews were amazing. It's a lot of work but the reward is well worth the investment. I shall try it with rabiit next time around. Thanks.
Sonia says
To bad you say that! Believe me if you ever taste mole, I can guarantee you will be back for more!!
Anita says
I just made this and followed it exactly (which is generally hard for me to do with recipes, but I thought this one would pay off if I did) with the exception of using chicken & making it into enchiladas.... SO AMAZING!!! It is a perfectly balanced mole that I will most definitely make again! THANK YOU so much!