Chicken in Mole Poblano

Ingredients

• Chicken legs (thighs and drumsticks), bone-in, skin-on 1.4 kg
• Dried ancho and mulato chiles, stemmed and seeded 6 (60 g)
• Dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded 3 (20 g)
• Tomato 1 large (200 g)
• White onion and garlic 1 medium onion (150 g), 4 cloves (16 g)
• Almonds, skin-on 40 g
• Sesame seeds 3 tbsp (27 g), divided
• Raisins 30 g
• Corn tortilla, stale 1 (30 g)
• Mexican chocolate 1 tablet (90 g)
• Ground cinnamon, cloves, anise seed and black pepper 1 tsp, 3 whole, 0.5 tsp, 0.5 tsp
• Lard or vegetable oil 4 tbsp (52 g)
• Water 1.5 L
• Salt 2.5 tsp (15 g)

Instructions

1. 1

   Put the chicken, half of the onion, 1 garlic clove, 1 tsp of the salt and the water in a pot, bring to a simmer and cook for 35 minutes; lift out the chicken, strain the broth and keep 1 L of it.

2. 2

   Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp of the lard in a frying pan and fry the chiles for a few seconds per side until they blister, then soak them in 500 ml of the hot broth for 20 minutes.

3. 3

   In the same pan, fry the almonds, 2 tbsp of the sesame seeds, the raisins, the torn tortilla and the spices for 2-3 minutes, stirring, then char the tomato, the remaining onion and garlic.

4. 4

   Blend the chiles with their soaking broth, the fried ingredients, the tomato, onion and garlic until very smooth, in batches if needed.

5. 5

   Heat the remaining lard in a heavy pot, pour in the sauce (it will spatter) and fry it for 5 minutes, stirring, then add the chocolate, the rest of the broth and the salt and simmer for 30 minutes until thick enough to coat a spoon.

6. 6

   Add the chicken to the mole and simmer for 10 minutes more.

7. 7

   Serve sprinkled with the remaining toasted sesame seeds, with rice and warm corn tortillas.