Moles and their chilies

[theabroma]

An eon ago in the midst of a discussion about chile chilcoztli, I promised Shelora the recipe for a very old, very traditional recipe for a yellow mole made with chilcoztlis and chicken, and served with an hoja santa puree.

Guess what I just found? Recipe follows. I hope that this can become a general discussion, Q&A, repository of tales all about moles ... the good, the bad, the mythic, and yes, the ugly.

I have made this and I find it both strange and exquisite. It is from Alicia Gironella d'Angeli, and it is, on occasion, served at her DF restaurant El Tajin.

Mole amarillo de San Pedro Ixcatlan, Oaxaca:

2 free range chickens, disjointed, breast halved or quartered, placed in pot with cold water to cover by 2.5 to 3 inches. Add salt to the water, and bring it to a boil; drop to a simmer and cook 30 or so minutes, or until the chicken is cooked.

(if using only breasts, poach them in chicken broth or stock as they cook quickly and, even with poaching, loose flavor when overcooked)

When the chicken is cooked, add 1 ounce of ground achiote seed (plain achiote, not achiote condimentado for a recado rojo), and two hoja santa leaves. Simmer 5 more minutes.

At this point, let the chicken cool in the broth. Skin and shred the chicken, and place on a plate or in a bowl. Strain and defat the broth. Don't drive yourself crazy defatting it ... you just don't want a huge oil slick on the surface. Place the broth back in a cooking pan.

Toast, seed, and grind 20 chiles chilcoztlis ( if you cannot find them, you can use guajillos, but with a bit of a different outcome ... still good).

Put some of the chicken broth into a small pot and add 18 hoja santa leaves; cook for 10-15 minutes, strain the leaves out of the broth and discard it, and puree the leaves. Place puree in a small dish.

Add the ground chiles chilcoztlis to the broth where the chicken was cooked.

Dilute 9 ounces of masa, preferably fresh ( if using Maseca, make the masa accordfing to package directions and weigh out 9 ounces of the reconstituted masa) in a small amount of water and strain it into the broth with the chilcoztlis.

Bring it to a simmer, add the shredded chicken, and allow it to cook until the broth/masa has thickened and the masa has lost its raw taste. Think chicken in cream sauce. It will be very yellow and have a velvety texture. Serve in dinner plates with a deep depression ... or shallow soup bowls. Garnish with the hoja santa puree.

It is saffrony-yellow, velvety, aromatic, and the green hoja santa puree makes a sharp color contrast. Though the only mention of salt is for the water in which the chicken simmers, you should adjust the salt to taste before serving.

There is a note containing a warning from the original recipe: " This is ritual food. It must be prepeared by one person only, because of its importance it demands sexual abstinence for four days prior to (and including day of) preparation."

Enjoy,

Theabroma

Edited July 31, 2005 by theabroma (log)

[BarbaraY]

Fascinating! Would love to try this but there are neither the hoja santa nor chiles chilcoztlis available around here. It looks to be very interesting and unusual.

[shelora]

Theobroma,

You have made my day! A million thanks for this recipe. I've printed it off to use this week. In reading it over, I have a few questions that hopefully you can clarify.

Toast, seed, and grind 20 chiles chilcoztlis

The chilies are not soaked? How did you grind them? In a molcajete? Should the resulting mix have texture?

Put some of the chicken broth into a small pot and add 18 hoja santa leaves; cook for 10-15 minutes, strain the leaves out of the broth and discard it, and puree the leaves

This is intriguing. Is the resulting broth so overpowering that you throw it away?

The recipe looks like it makes enough for a crowd. What did you serve it with? Rice? Tortillas?

Salad?

Finally the sexual abstience rule is odd indeed. Is the dish worth the wait?

My hoja santa is coming along nicely, but may look too bare for the 18 - 20 leaves required. I will probably halve the recipe.

Again, thanks so much.

Shelora

[caroline]

Theabroma, what a great recipe. I can't wait to try it, with guajillos of course. And forget the abstinence.

Did Alicia say who gave it to her etc?

Rachel

[theabroma]

Alicia presented this at the IACP Puebla Workshop in late October/early November 2003. She simply said that she had collected this recipe, and I did not have an opportunity to follow through by asking her where and from whom. Caroline, you will likely see her before I do ... I hope you ask. I will certainly do so when I get the chance.

TOASTING AND GRINDING THE CHILES:

She served samples of this recipe at the workshop, so I can describe how it was served, texture, quantities of mole to hoja santa puree, etc. The sauce was very silky, which leads me to conclude that: the chiles were toasted, deseeded, and soaked to soften (that is as obligtatory as breathing anyway!) and then ground or pureed in a blender, then added to the broth.

The masa must be diluted somewhat - thin enough to be whiskable into the broth - so that you don't wind up with yellow chochoyotes floating in the broth!

The texture of the broth was velvety; it was not even roughly textured. I know that when you dilute masa to add to a broth or to cook for a tamal masa, you have to strain it to ensure that any stray pieces of grit or pedicel, etc. are removed. My guess would be - especially since this had been prepared in the kitchen at the Camino Real Puebla - that the sauce was strained through a china cap, if not a chinois (not a traditional strainer! but then, pichanchas sometimes come with very fine holes).

Toast, seed, and grind 20 chiles chilcoztlis

The chilies are not soaked? I soak the chiles

How did you grind them? In a molcajete? Molcajete or blender, depending on just how traditional I'm feeling!

Should the resulting mix have texture? Not really. It won't ever be as smooth as a wheat flour thickened gravy or sauce, but it should be fairly smooth.

Put some of the chicken broth into a small pot and add 18 hoja santa leaves; cook for 10-15 minutes, strain the leaves out of the broth and discard it, and puree the leaves

The hoja santa poaching liquid gets pretty intense. You don't need that much liquid, and you only need to simmer them until they are wilted. They aren't really cooked - otherwise they'd lose tha beautiful green color.

Proportions: Since I feel this is a very elegant dish, I would use chicken breasts. I would poach them on the bone and with the skin in chicken stock or broth, just until they are done. Let them cool in broth to cover. You can continue the preparation with the rest of the broth. Strain it and defat it.

When the chx breasts are cool enough to handle, remove the bones and skin, and shred the flesh. I would serve about a cupful of chicken with 1/2 to 3/4 cup of sauce and 2 TBSP of the hoja santa puree. I hope that gives you a better idea of portions.

I don't see why you couldn't freeze the broth with the chile puree in it; in fact, you could probably freeze it with the masa cooked in it. I think it will take about 2 TBSP of masa per cup of broth to get the desired thickness - maybe a bit less.

Does this help?? Let me know!

Regards,

Theabroma

[shelora]

I'm a little miffed at the moment. What I thought were chilcoztlis, were chilhuacles.

And I'm looking at my guajillos and they are all on the small side - any cantidad that you can think of for this recipe???

Shall I proceed or wait until I get chilcoztlis??? (Not until next year).

I'm steamed.

s

Edited August 5, 2005 by shelora (log)

[rancho_gordo]

I'm a little miffed at the moment. What I thought were chilcoztlis, were chilhuacles.

And I'm looking at my guajillos and they are all on the small side - any cantidad that you can think of for this recipe???

Shall I proceed or wait until I get chilcoztlis??? (Not until next year).

I'm steamed.

s

←

I remember a time not too long ago when chilhuacles would have been a prize. I think they still are!

Any poop on this chilcoztli chile other than being somewhat similar to guajillo? Is it worth growing? Can you save me some seed if so?

[Chris Amirault]

Click here for some related and possibly useful info at the mole poblano cook-off.

[theabroma]

Shelora, chilcoztlis are not particularly large chiles. Mine are maybe 3" or so long and .5 to 1.5" wide. Does that give you an idea about the amount of guajillos to use?

RG: Chilcoztlis are one of the Oaxacan chiles that you principally find in that region. I have seen them on occasion for sale in markets in the city of Puebla and in Puebla itself. And yes, you can grow the seeds.

I am hoping to be in Mx City in late August - Caroline sent me a notice of a taller on mushrooms from the Sierra Nevada at the UNAM Botanical Garden, and I really, really want to go. Should this actually happen, I shall be happy to go to La Merced, where I suspect one can buy chilcoztlis and shop for the group.

They give an intense, almost saffron yellow color to the sauce. The closest effect from any other chile that I have seen is from a guajillo. The heat is in the ballpark one with the other.

Theabroma

[shelora]

I shall be happy to go to La Merced, where I suspect one can buy chilcoztlis and shop for the group.

Yes please!!!!!!!

I'll gladly reimburse you for the chiles and postage.

Thanks, for the cantidad clarification.

It would be fun to do a back-to-back tasting for this mole.

[nickarte]

Patricia Quintana (of Izote) has a new book out about moles. I saw it in her restaurant (where we had another fabulous meal on Friday) but couldn´t find it at the usual bookstores ( ie. Ghandi, Casa Lamm) here in el DF. Will keep you all informed...

[esperanza]

So what did you eat at Izote? Inquiring minds want to know...

<envious>

[nickarte]

So what did you eat at Izote? Inquiring minds want to know...

"Muese Geule" (sp?): the 3 salsas with dry corn tostada, like flatbread- straight from the Aztecs - you could live on this alone.

Appetizers (for 3 people):

1. The 3 ceviches: Pacific coast style with Huachinago (a grapefruit juice marinade), A sweetish one with Sierra, and the Asiany one with a soya marinade and scallops, our least favorite.

2. "Dzick" de Venado (who knows what dzick means), a little rich adobo, room temp. of venison to make little tacos. Yucatecan style, achiote marinade. Enjoyed by all...

3. The Guacamole with smoked salmon on top and infused vanilla oil - this is just about the best thing she does, four star, we dream about this.

Platos fuertes:

1. Duck with mole negro - dark, simple, almost burnt tasting mole, complements the duck (which I think was a boned thigh). Memorable...

2. A pasta with 'flor de calabaza' and cream -sounds good, but was a yawn, although if you made it at home you'd be perfectly happy.

3. Filet of huachinango with cream, flor de calabaza, epazote sauce - a special not on the menu - rich but subtle and well prepared.

A side of ensalada de nopales, which she "gussies up" in a nice way, chopped smaller than usual and dressed beautifully.

A GOOD Mexican wine, a Santo Tomas Barberra for about $30 US, good value for its quality.

The Marzipan, white chocolate with orange sauce dessert....

Bill was about $50 per person. we are never dissapointed...

"She" wasn't there and the crowd was light, Mexico City being empty, like Paris, in August.

The great thing to know, for 'northerners', is that, since dinner is not such a big deal in Mexico, you can almost always get a reservation for the same day...sometimes comida time is what is booked up, especially on Friday which is a big comida day due to "TGIF" celebrating....

[bjcohan]

Patricia Quintana (of Izote) has a new book out about moles. I saw it in her restaurant (where we had another fabulous meal on Friday) but couldn´t find it at the usual bookstores  ( ie. Ghandi, Casa Lamm) here in el DF. Will keep you all informed...

←

I found the book! Not much info, but given the quality of her other efforts, I'm sure this one's a winner. Here's the link: http://www.libroslatinos.com/cgi-bin/libros/98029.html

Here's an article about it: http://www.elsoldemexico.com.mx/impreso/05...d/2sociedad.asp

Barb

Edited September 24, 2005 by bjcohan (log)

[theabroma]

Just got back from Mexico, and ate at Izote. It was a disappointment; the worst kind. The setting is very fresh and well done, in the bosom of the haute chichi Polanco. The menu promised much, and delivered good food, but well below expectations from the press, classes w/Quintana over the years, working with her books (including Mullis), and eating a Isidora's, another nueva cocina azteca spot for which she was the consultant.

Interesting items, not at the top of the execution required, and not enitrely thought through. The quartet of tamalitos had a gorgeous, austere presentation, and mouth-engaging fillings. But. The proportion of cheese to masa was, for me and I think for a tamal, way off. When you steam Mx cheeses like quesillo for a long time they can become rubbery. I had a moment's panic that I had tied into some exotic form of Mexican albino Double Bubble. The foie gras in the pickled ancho, with caramelized onions was a well tuned symphony of flavors, but the textures got away from the dish, and the foie gras was constructed more like sweetbreads, rather than in one glossy, unctuous slab. A little like trim. And trim of good foie gras is fine, depending on how it is handled.

I will have to dig into my notes to go on, but the rest of the meal teetered around the table in similar fashion to the above. Izote does, however, manage to prove the point that there is/can be such a thing as Mexican haute cuisine ... but it is still a work in progress.

A more satisfying, and less expensive, meal was had a El Cardenal, an old warhorse in the Centro Historico. A taqueza of cuitlacoche with kernels the size of the Hope Diamond, lightly sauteed with rajas of poblana, cebolla de cambray, and a touch of garlic with a deck of hand made tortillas in a linen napkin. Escamoles like a pile of pearls atop the jade green velvet of avocado. Nothing forced, everything at the top of its game. A superb meal.

Mulli is a beautiful book, with beautiful photographs and apparently good food information and recipes.

Quintana has a lot to teach us and a lot to say ... I just wish Izote were more articulate.

Theabroma

[theabroma]

2. "Dzick" de Venado (who knows what dzick means), a little rich adobo, room temp. of venison to make little tacos. Yucatecan style, achiote marinade. Enjoyed by all...

Basically, a salpicon de venado - w/onions, garlic, tomato, and shredded venison, with a dressing. Traditional Yucatecan. I think DK has a recipe; I know that Alicia Gironella de'Angeli does in two of her books (in Spanish). It's really lovely. Wasn't on the menu at Izote when we were there.

Theabroma

[shelora]

Just got back from Mexico, and ate at Izote.  It was a disappointment; the worst kind.  The setting is very fresh and well done, in the bosom of the haute chichi Polanco.  The menu promised much, and delivered good food, but well below expectations from the press, classes w/Quintana over the years, working with her books (including Mullis), and eating a Isidora's, another nueva cocina azteca spot for which she was the consultant.

Interesting items, not at the top of the execution required, and not enitrely thought through.  The quartet of tamalitos had a gorgeous, austere presentation, and mouth-engaging fillings.  But.  The proportion of cheese to masa was, for me and I think for a tamal, way off.  When you steam Mx cheeses like quesillo for a long time they can become rubbery.  I had a moment's panic that I had tied into some exotic form of Mexican albino Double Bubble.  The foie gras in the pickled ancho, with caramelized onions was a well tuned symphony of flavors, but the textures got away from the dish, and the foie gras was constructed more like sweetbreads, rather than in one glossy, unctuous slab.  A little like trim.  And trim of good foie gras is fine, depending on how it is handled.

A more satisfying, and less expensive, meal was had a El Cardenal, an old warhorse in the Centro Historico.  A taqueza of cuitlacoche with kernels the size of the Hope Diamond, lightly sauteed with rajas of poblana, cebolla de cambray, and a touch of garlic with a deck of hand made tortillas in a linen napkin.  Escamoles like a pile of pearls atop the jade green velvet of avocado.  Nothing forced, everything at the top of its game.  A superb meal.

I just wish Izote were more articulate.

Theabroma

←

I value your opinion, Theabroma. Excellent review. Since I'll be staying the Centro Historico in December, I think I will concentrate on the restaurants there. Coox Hanal, from a previous thread and your recommendations of El Cardenal are intriguing.

Izote is still on my top ten to try, but I'm too jazzed about classic Mexican cuisine and Mexico is the only chance I get to feast on it. I've already been daydreaming about freshly made quesadillas with squash blossoms, epazote, quesillo and a smearing of asiento. Only two more months and I'll be there.

s

Edited September 27, 2005 by shelora (log)

[shelora]

Now that the cold damp Fall is here, I turn to moles for comfort. Last night it was Mole Amarillo made with guajillo chilies.

This one made with the addition of chicken, chayote, potatoes, green beans from the garden and the a little anise flavouring of the hoja santa leaf (also from my garden).

I topped each dish with rajas of roasted chilies and white onion pickled in lime juice and scented with Mexican oregano.

Pure ambrosia.

[Albondigas]

One day I'll make Mole from scratch. And one day I may just read all of Proust's "A la Recherche du Temps Perdue" instead of just using the book as ballast in my suitcase.

In the meantime I still love the stuff and want to have some chicken mole for dinner so I'm stuck with the pre-made stuff, right?

On a recent trip to Oaxaca I picked some Mayordomo Mole Negro and Rojo. It is wonderful. However, I can't help but think I was too timid not to bring home some of the other mole available in the market in Oaxaca. The Mayordomo jars just looked convenient and way to travel with whereas the mounds of mole looked a lot less convenient.

Just what is the scoop with the jars vs. the mole sold in the market?

[shelora]

One day I'll make Mole from scratch. And one day I may just read all of Proust's "A la Recherche du Temps Perdue" instead of just using the book as ballast in my suitcase.

In the meantime I still love the stuff and want to have some chicken mole for dinner so I'm stuck with the pre-made stuff, right?

On a recent trip to Oaxaca I picked some Mayordomo Mole Negro and Rojo. It is wonderful. However,  I can't help but think I was too timid not to bring home some of the other mole available in the market in Oaxaca.  The Mayordomo jars just looked convenient and way to travel with whereas the mounds of mole looked a lot less convenient.

Just what is the scoop with the jars vs. the mole sold in the market?

←

First of all, doesn't albondiga sound so much better than meatball?

I like the Mayordomo products. Sorry to say though, they've been in my refrigerator a bit too long, I'm afraid to look.

The only difference, in my opinion, between the Mayordomo and the stuff you buy in the market besides packaging is recipe. If you have observed the ladies with their buckets of ingredients to get ground at the molinillo - usually takes place at one of the Mayordomos near the market - they will all have different amounts of this and that that make them their own.

But there is nothing wrong with the flavour of the Mayordomo moles and nothing to be ashamed of if you are not making your own from scratch.

I just happen to like hell fire in the kitchen.

[bjcohan]

One day I'll make Mole from scratch. And one day I may just read all of Proust's "A la Recherche du Temps Perdue" instead of just using the book as ballast in my suitcase.

In the meantime I still love the stuff and want to have some chicken mole for dinner so I'm stuck with the pre-made stuff, right?

On a recent trip to Oaxaca I picked some Mayordomo Mole Negro and Rojo. It is wonderful. However,  I can't help but think I was too timid not to bring home some of the other mole available in the market in Oaxaca.  The Mayordomo jars just looked convenient and way to travel with whereas the mounds of mole looked a lot less convenient.

Just what is the scoop with the jars vs. the mole sold in the market?

←

First of all, doesn't albondiga sound so much better than meatball?

I like the Mayordomo products. Sorry to say though, they've been in my refrigerator a bit too long, I'm afraid to look.

The only difference, in my opinion, between the Mayordomo and the stuff you buy in the market besides packaging is recipe. If you have observed the ladies with their buckets of ingredients to get ground at the molinillo - usually takes place at one of the Mayordomos near the market - they will all have different amounts of this and that that make them their own.

But there is nothing wrong with the flavour of the Mayordomo moles and nothing to be ashamed of if you are not making your own from scratch.

I just happen to like hell fire in the kitchen.

←

LOL, I was a French major and had to do the whole Proust thing so long ago I'd nearly forgotten about it. Guess I need "une madeleine trempée dans du vin"!!!

I've tried to stay away from the packaged mole pastes because I can't taste them before I buy them. When I lived in Mexico, I was fortunate to live with a glorious woman named Esperanza who took me to the markets in and around Cuernavaca and in Puebla, Oaxaca, Tepoztlan, and Guadalajara educating me about the gazillions of different moles. At her wise suggestion, I now always travel with boxes of ziplock bags. I buy the paste on taste (I love it raw), then freeze it in double-bagged ziplock bags for the trip home. I have a special insulated carrier that fits in my suitcase and keeps everything frozen until I get back to Philadelphia. I file the bags, card-like, in a box in my freezer so everything is available -- black moles, yellow, green, red and brown. My favorite comes from a little place just outside Cuernavaca - it's a glorious red mole, every bit as good as the ones I make from scratch (when there is time). Last trip, I brought a cubeta of 10 kilos of the stuff. Paid overweight on my suitcase but it was worth it.

The bought paste isn't as much fun as homemade, but it is fun to taste all the different kinds in the market and bring home a variety.

Barb

[Sneakeater]

You should read Proust. It's really great.

[Albondigas]

Last trip, I brought a cubeta of 10 kilos of the stuff. Paid overweight on my suitcase but it was worth it.

The bought paste isn't as much fun as homemade, but it is fun to taste all the different kinds in the market and bring home a variety.

Barb

←

[eje]

Was thinking of making pork mole for dinner tomorrow.

To my eyes, this one looks pretty good.

Mole Negro Oaxaqueno con Puerco

Anyone have alternative recommendations?

-Erik

[Jay Francis]

I am a fan of the Chocolate Mayordomo mole negro, even though it is the most commercially produced product. I had the opportunity to watch the production of it and it is amazing how, even though everything in the process is mechanized via conveyor belts, they stay true to the mole. Giant bins of toasted bolillos, bins of cleaned chiles, very impressive. And tasting the mole just as it comes off the production line....well, I would put it up against anyone's.

On my last trip to Oaxaca, I picked up my mole at Esmeralda (sic) on one of the streets that borders the downtown market. I bought a lot as this was going to be Christmas gift giving.

I bought these plastic containers and divided up the mole into them. When I got to the Mexico City airport, at my first luggage inspection at check-in, the guy didn't pass them, since they were now in unmarked plastic tubs and looked very much like plastic explosives. He was really nice about it and I understood his position. Then, I said, "You know, I've got some friends here in Mexico City I can pass these on to, is that okay?" Which it was. So I transferred them to my carry on bag, took them through the second customs checkpoint (the one with the metal detectors) without any further incidences.

I am planning to teach a mole class in the next few months here in Houston. To do my research, I put together a spreadsheet for mole negro, in order to compare recipes from Kennedy, Martinez, and others. I don't know how to attach the spreadsheet to this posting, but if anyone wants a copy, email me and I will send it to you.

After trying several mole negro recipes, I decided that it would not have as much appeal to my students as a coloradito, so I switched gears. The coloradito was made from one of Zarela's recipes and it was very good. I had the opportunity to recipe test venison/pork tamales for an upcoming cookbook and served the coloradito with the tamales.

Jay

Oh, by the way. You'll see that some recipes call for reserving the seeds and toasting them. I can confirm that this step is really valuable and helpful for the final flavor. One of the problems I ran across, I think it was with Trilling, is that she said toast them until they are black but not burned. But then she says to set them on fire to finish the process. Well, that is kind of what you do. But it is hard to do and I would just toast the seeds til they are dark brown. Taste them. And then, with one of those lighters like you use for lighting a gas grill, just flame them for a few seconds.

Edited April 1, 2006 by Jay Francis (log)