Chicken Poblano Mole Recipe
"Accept the challenges, so you may feel the exhilaration of victory." - George S. Patton.  Today, I feel like trying something new, something different, something tough. I gather my ingredients, crank up some Manu Chao and charge in (for your enjoyment, here is Manu Chao's Youtube station, so you can get your groove on while cooking.)  Soon, wafts of spice and pollo transform my kitchen into una cocina de la abuelita. My labor of love now complete, I fix a plato, pour myself a Porter Weisse and embark on "El viaje misterioso de nuestro Cocinero Renuente" (an episode of the Simpsons, where Homer eats several "Guatemalan insanity peppers" and goes on a mysterious voyage.) I swoon from the passionate complexity.  Banana esters and clove from the brew add to the bouquet of spices in the dish.  The porter malt serenades the bittersweet chocolate and toasted chili.  Truly, victory never tasted so good. Ingredients 
  • 15 dried Mulato Chilies
  • 8 dried Ancho Chilies
  • 2 dried Pasilla Chilies
  • 1 raw chicken, deboned with the heart, gizzard, and neck set aside for stock
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 5 sprigs parsley, 2 for stock, 3 for garnish
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • ¾ cup blanched almonds
  • ½ cup golden raisins
  • 4 T toasted sesame seeds, half for puree, half for garnish
  • ½ loaf baguette, lightly toasted and crumbled
  • ½ tsp ground cloves
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp anise seeds
  • 1 corn tortilla, fried and broken up
  • 3 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
  • 1 chipotle chili
  • 1 ½ squares unsweetened chocolate
  • 1 cup lard
  • Sugar, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper to taste
Directions
  1. The night before, toast the dried chilies, (not the chipotle chili).  Remove seeds and connective tissue.  Soak chilies in salted water overnight.
  2. The day of, Combine 6 cups water with chicken heart, gizzard, neck, ½ cup of onion, 1 garlic clove, and 2 sprigs parsley.  Simmer covered for 1 hour.  Strain stock and refrigerate.
  3. Drain soaked chilies, discard liquid.  With a mortar and pestle or blender, grind soaked chilies, 1 cup onion, 2 cloves garlic, almonds, raisins, half of sesame seeds, baguette, cloves, cinnamon, anise, tortilla, and cracked black pepper. Grind until smooth.  Set aside.
  4. Blend tomatoes with chipotle until smooth.
  5. Heat lard in a pot over medium high heat.  Brown chicken on all sides.  Add chipotle mixture first, then add 2 cups of the chicken stock.  Simmer stock until au sec (almost dry).  Add soaked chili puree and simmer 2 minutes.  Add more stock as necessary to keep hydrated.  Simmer until chicken is done.  Add chocolate and add sugar and salt to taste.  Once chocolate is melted, serve with remaining sesame seeds sprinkled over top and parsley sprig.  Serve with rice, beans, and flour tortillas.