Enchiladas de Mole Poblano, Shredded Chicken served with Corn Tortillas, Mole Poblano, Sour Cream, Mexican Cheese, White Onion, Toasted Sesame Seeds, Mexican Rice and Refried Black Beans

Serves 8

Ingredients

For Enchiladas

1 cup Canola oil
24 Corn Tortillas
6 cups Chicken Meat, cooked and shredded
3 cups Mole Sauce
1 cup Sour Cream
2 cups Queso Fresco, shredded
1 Red Onion, sliced

For Mole Sauce

(Makes 1.5 to 2 quarts)

6 Mulato Dried Chili Peppers
4 Negro Dried Chili Peppers
2 Ancho Dried Chili Peppers
8 cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock
Vegetable oil or Lard for frying (as needed)
¾ lb. Roman Tomato, cut into halves
¼ lb. Tomatillo, husks removed, rinsed, cut into halves
½ Ripe Plantain, peeled, sliced and fried
2 tbsp. Raisin
¼ White Onion
2 Garlic Cloves, peeled
¼ cup Whole Almonds
¼ cup Peanuts, unsalted
2 tbsp. Hulled Raw Green Pumpkin Seeds
¼ cup Pecans, halves
1 Cinnamon Stick, (Mexican Canela or Ceylon variety)
4 Whole Cloves
½ tsp. Whole All-Spice
½ tsp. Cumin Seeds
1 Corn Tortilla, fried
1 slice French Bread or Bolillo Bread, fried
2 oz. Mexican Chocolate (Abuelita, Ibarra or other brand)
2 tsp. Brown Sugar
2 tsp. Salt

Directions

For Mole Sauce

1.Wipe all the dried chili peppers clean with a damp cloth and remove all the stems, veins and seeds
2.In a large skillet, toast the chili peppers, two to three at a time, until slightly blistered and aromatic, toasting each chili for approximately 10 seconds
3.Put the chili peppers in a pan with the broth as they are toasted. Let them slightly boil for about 10 minutes or until soft
4.In the same skillet, heat 1/4 cup of oil or lard and fry the tomatoes and tomatillos, until they are a paste. This paste is later added to the mole sauce when all the ingredients are boiled together.
5.Add chili peppers, plantains and raisins to the broth
6.In another skillet, grill the ¼ onion and garlic until they start to brown in spots.
7.Add to the broth and let it cool
8.Meanwhile, in a medium skillet toast the almonds until they start to color (light brown color) and are aromatic, add the peanuts, pumpkin seeds and pecans, moving the pan frequently, so they do not get burned
9.Add to a bowl and keep aside
10.Toast the cinnamon stick in the same skillet for one minute, add the cloves, all spice and finally the cumin
11.Add to the bowl and let them cool
12.Boil the mixture for 15 minutes
13.Transfer some of the broth, with the boiled ingredients, fried tortilla and fried bread to a blender
14.Mix mixture together with the bowl ingredients and create a purée as smooth as possible, pour in a large bowl
15.Repeat in batches until all are blended, if necessary use more stock or water to help to blend
16.In a large, heavy deep pot, heat 1/4 cup oil or lard. Add the blended mixture from the bowl
17.Bring to a boil, stirring constantly and cook for 30 minutes, stir frequently to prevent sticking. Continue cooking on reduced heat for an additional 20 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent sticking.
18.After 30 minutes, add the chocolate and stir, constantly to prevent scorching, until the chocolate melts
19.The sauce should have the consistency of gravy, if too thick, add more broth
20.Add the sugar, salt and let it simmer for 10 more minutes
21.The sauce is ready to use

For Enchiladas

1.Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until it simmers
2.With tongs, dip the tortillas, one at a time, into the hot oil for about 3 seconds, until limp
3.Drain tortillas on a dry paper towel to absorb any excess oil
4.In a skillet, mix the shredded chicken with the mole sauce until warm
5.To assemble the enchilada, put one tortilla on a plate and put about 2 tablespoons of the chicken with mole sauce onto the center of the tortilla
6.Roll the filled tortilla, now an enchilada, into a cylinder. Repeat the process with two more tortillas and place the three prepared enchiladas side by side on the dish
7.Pour the remaining mole sauce over all the enchiladas
8.Top with the sour cream, queso fresco and red onion to finish the dish