Oaxacan Yellow Mole

[shelora]

In the Art of by D.K., she speaks about the Mole Amarillo. "Either pork, chicken, or beef can be used, the only difference being the final flavouring herbs: hoja santa, cilantro or pitiona respectively."

Would I be committing some grave error if I was to use chicken with hoja santa?

Next questions is, I'm cooking a dinner this Saturday for six people and the weather is supposed to be in the upper 30degrees (Celsius). I'm starting to think a mole would be too heavy. Do you think perhaps a picadillo of pork or chicken stuffed in anchos would be better?

Shelora

[esperanza]

In my experience, traditional Mexican cooks of traditional Mexican recipes are usually shocked if I tell them that I prepared a traditional food in a non-traditional way. The shock is generally followed immediately by a look of pity for my ignorance. My first lesson in this was about 25 years ago and I remember it clearly and with some residual embarrassment.

In other words, the hoja santa doesn't traditionally go with the chicken.

I don't know where you live, but if high humidity accompanies those high-30s temperatures, the mole sounds too heavy. Unless, of course, you live in air conditioning--in which case, it doesn't really matter.

Where I live, anchos are always dried chiles. Is that what you have in mind? Generally (again, where I live) the chiles used for stuffing are fresh poblanos. I'd gladly give you my $.02 worth if I understood your question better.

[shelora]

Hi Esperanza,

Thanks for that. Do you always use a poblano no matter what you are stuffing it with? I was thinking of using the ancho chile to stuff with the picadillo. I like its raisiny quality that goes so well with the mixture of pork, capers and olives, etc.

I know that look you are speaking about. For the longest time, I would only use ancho chiles to make chile rellenos. When I told this to a chile vendor in Oaxaca, she gave me that look. It just pierced right through me. She only used the chile pasilla de Oaxaca for her chile rellenos.

The more I look at the my menu, the more I think I will do the picadillo.

I live in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and the humidity is not that high and the only air conditioning we have is opening all the windows.

hasta pronto

[esperanza]

Hmm...well, I have never heard of stuffing a dried chile, but then I haven't heard everything.

If it were me, I'd buy fresh poblanos, roast them on the comal till they were blackened, sweat them for 10 minutes in a plastic bag, and peel them. That's what I'd stuff with the picadillo. Then I would dredge them with flour and dip them in the beaten egg coating for chiles rellenos, fry them till they're golden, and drain well on paper toweling.

You can do this much in advance, as well as make a light tomato salsa to spoon over them when you plate them.

You can serve them a tiempo, which might be nice on a hot evening. It's unusual for it to be that hot in Victoria, no?

[ExtraMSG]

Stuffed jalapenos. The sweat from the fiery little devils will cool you off! My favorite chile relleno is chiles en nogada: poblanos stuffed with picadillo with lots of dried fruit, all covered in creamed walnuts and garnished with pomegrantes. Really a December dish, but there are lots of similar rellenos. But I like the idea for summer because they're usually served just above room temp with the sauce kind of cool.

Of course, there are always cocktails and ceviches on tostadas and such. I usually think more coastal Mexican in the summer and interior Mexican in the winter.

[esperanza]

Chiles en Nogada is an absolutely fantastic dish! I love it and prepare it when I have guests and when it's the season. But hey, the season for it here in Mexico is in September, when it's traditional to serve it during the annual Independence Day celebrations. It's often served in restaurants as a special promotion around the 16th.

[shelora]

Ceviche on tostadas - I think you are absolutely right! I've got to re-do the entire menu. I am going to make that guacamole with the peaches and grapes though - it sounds too great to pass up now that peaches are glutting the market place.

And a lovely agua fresca upon arrival, before the tequila, just to cool down.

And just so there is no mistaking, I do re-hydrate those dried anchos before I stuff them.

The temperature is very hot today, we are just not too used to it. I love it, but yes, interior Mexico is definitely for the winter months.

Oh well, my guest will just have to endure - pobrecitos!

S

[theabroma]

Stuffed dried (toasted, then soaked) red chiles are common in Mexico. And as for the yellow mole, Alicia Gironella de'Angeli of El Tajin made a fantastic one with chicken, chile chilcoztli, and onion. It was served with a puree of hoja santa. It both ancient and traditional in Southern Puebla/Northern Oaxaca.

I have the recipe somewhere if you would like it.

Regards,

Theabroma

PS: I have poached anchos in vanilla syrup and stuffed them with arroz con leche or chocolate mousse. Eats pretty good.

T.

[divina]

When we toured the market at Etla with Suzanna Trilling for class, I bought some fabulous dried chili's for Chili rellenos.

Suzanna said to toast them then soak them before serving..

Only one lady had these chili's they were dark and fabulous!!!

I am still hoarding some!

The temp is rising here too..and I also have gotten a craving for mexican.

A little Aqua di Sandia is calling me right now!

[shelora]

Oh yes please for the recipe, Theobroma. With thanks.

This is an extravaganza tomorrow night. I have changed the menu numerous times, but it is now set.

* 100% agave tequila served in a cucumber cup

* Guacamole Chamacuero - made with peaches and grapes

* Ceviche on tostadas (scallops and wild salmon)

* Corn husk tamalito stuffed with squash blossoms and epazote

* Summer greens (from my garden) with a summer herb and lime vinaigrette

* Mole of Black Iguana (AKA baby back ribs!) - a fiery coastal mole of 40 costeno chiles, hoja santa and tomatillos.

* Roasted banana-pecan ice cream served with candied peanuts and confession wafers.

These are all smallish plates and the guests are bringing lots of wine to pair with courses.

I made still make an agua fresca, perhaps just for me while I'm cooking all day. Actually, it will start this afternoon.

I feel ending the evening with confession wafers will appease any sin.

Over and out.

Shelora

[caroline]

Sounds great,

Rachel

[esperanza]

That's a beautiful menu. Your guests should be delighted.

One question: whatever is a confession wafer?

[shelora]

I'm being rather cheeky. I top dessert with a large communion wafer.

[caroline]

You're in good company. I was on a tour with a Mexican group last year. We were supposed to be looking at churches. But what everyone wanted to do was to go to the back of the church where nuns sold wafer sheets with the communion wafers cut out. They snacked on these for the rest of the trip!

Rachel

[caroline]

You're in good company. I was on a tour with a Mexican group last year. We were supposed to be looking at churches. But what everyone wanted to do was to go to the back of the church where nuns sold wafer sheets with the communion wafers cut out. They snacked on these for the rest of the trip!

Rachel

[spoonbread]

That really is a good menu. I like the ending with wafers, nice touch. So, it is decided you're not gonna use mole amarillo? I have a great recipe for one.

Btw...can you get hoja in Canada??

[shelora]

No, the amarillo will have to wait, but, I was able to use the hoja santa in the coastal mole dish I made - with the fiery, sharp costeno chile.

I am growing my own hoja santa, so i am able to pick it fresh. Myself and a friend could be the only ones in Canada growing this wonderful plant. I'm hoping it will be the start of something fab.

s

[annadev]

I too live in Canada, although in Ottawa where it is considerably colder than Victoria in the winter and considerably hotter in the summer. Anyway, where did you get the hoja santa seeds? I bought epazote seeds this year, but they didn't do well at all. Any ideas?

[shelora]

We have hoja santa because we smuggled a live plant back with us from Mexico. We cut the plant back to a stump and took it with us well wrapped, roots and all. I have understood that this is the only way to grow hoja santa, there are no seeds. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Epazote. Give it another try. Once it takes, it will re-seed itself forever. We now have very good plants producing excellent leaves. I have purchased epazote through my local gardening store and have purchased them in Mexico.

I am a very low maintenance gardener. If I can grow epazote, so can you. It requires very little in the way of encouragment. I never take the plants in over winter. I let them go to seed and let nature blow them around. In the subzero temperatures of Ottawa, you may want to take the plants in over winter though.

s

[annadev]

We have hoja santa because we smuggled a live plant back with us from Mexico. We cut the plant back to a stump and took it with us well wrapped, roots and all. I have understood that this is the only way to grow hoja santa, there are no seeds. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Epazote. Give it another try. Once it takes, it will re-seed itself forever. We now have very good plants producing excellent leaves. I have purchased epazote through my local gardening store and have purchased them in Mexico.

I am a very low maintenance gardener. If I can grow epazote, so can you. It requires very little in the way of encouragment. I never take the plants in over winter. I let them go to seed and let nature blow them around. In the subzero temperatures of Ottawa, you may want to take the plants in over winter though.

s

←

Thanks, I'll try the epazote again, grow under lights inside in the winter.

[sladeums]

Thanks, I'll try the epazote again, grow under lights inside in the winter.

←

Once you get epazote going, there's no stopping it.

[Gaius]

An observation about tradition. Whose tradition and where? Varies from household to household and, probably, within that house -- unless they're exiled.

I first had amarillo in a small market somewhere in the Oaxaca Valley. It was chicken with, I thought at the time, amarillo added onto the plain poached meat, wrapped in a large, oblong, thick Oaxacan tortilla lined with hoja santa leaf. Therefore, I thought that was "the" tradition. "A" tradition, I gather -- that cook's tradition.