Mole Manchamanteles

Yield > 10
Ingredients :
STOCK
2 x chickens - (3 1/2 to 4 1/2
lbs)
2 x onions
4 x celery stalks chopped
4 whl cloves
(or 2 pinches ground
cloves)
2 x carrots chopped
2 x garlic cloves chopped
2 x bay leaves
2 x fresh thyme sprigs
1 x dried chile de arbol
2 whl allspice
24 cup water
Salt to taste
MOLE
6 x dried guajillo chiles
1 x dried ancho chile
4 cup boiling water
1 lb fresh or canned tomatoes
Oil
1/2 cup raw sesame seeds
1 x white onion roughly
chopped
1/4 cup whole raw almonds
1/4 cup raw pecans
1/4 cup raisins
4 x garlic cloves halved
2 whl cloves
(or 2 pinches ground
cloves)
2 x black peppercorns
1 whl allspice
1 x cinnamon stick - (2" long)
(or 1 tbspn ground
cinnamon)
2 sprg fresh oregano sprigs
(or 1/2 tspn dried
oregano)
9 cup Chicken stock - (to 10
cups)
2 x plantains
(or 1 fresh cored peeled
cubed pineapple)
Salt to taste
1 1/2 tbl sugar
Method :
• Stock: Cut each chicken into 8 pieces. Simmer chicken
pieces, onions, celery, cloves, carrots, garlic, bay leaves,
thyme, chile de arbol, allspice and water in large stockpot and
cook until tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Add salt to taste. Remove
chicken from stock and set aside. Discard vegetables and
seasonings and reserve stock.
• Mole: Remove stems, seeds and veins from both kinds of
chiles. Toast chiles in skillet or on griddle over low heat until
slightly fragrant and beginning to blister. Be careful not to burn
chiles. Put chiles in bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let
soak 20 to 30 minutes (the longer they soak, the less hot they
become).
• Transfer chiles from bowl to blender with slotted spoon
and puree, adding some of soaking water if needed to blend
well. Pass pureed chiles through sieve or food mill and set
aside.
• Quarter tomatoes and cook in dry skillet over medium
heat until dry, about 20 minutes. Blend well in blender and
pass through sieve or food mill to remove seeds and skins.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet over low heat. When hot,
add sesame seeds and cook, stirring constantly, until seeds
brown slightly, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl. When cool,
grind in spice grinder or with mortar and pestle.
• Return skillet to medium heat, add 2 tablespoons oil and
onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and
transparent, about 10 minutes. Add almonds, pecans, raisins,
garlic, cloves, peppercorns, allspice, cinnamon and oregano
and saute, stirring constantly, until brown and fragrant, about
10 minutes. Transfer to blender and add 1 cup chicken stock.
Blend until smooth.
• Put 2 tablespoons oil in large pot and heat over medium
heat until slight haze forms over oil. Add chile puree and fry,
stirring constantly, until dry, about 20 minutes. Mixture will
splatter, so carefully partially cover pot with towel. Add
tomatoes, sesame seeds and onion mixture and cook, stirring
constantly, 10 minutes. Add chicken stock to make fairly loose
mixture, 4 to 6 cups, and continue cooking, adding more stock
as necessary.
• Slice plantains and fry in 3 tablespoons oil over mediumhigh
heat until brown and slightly crisp, about 10 minutes.
Drain on paper towels. Add plantain or pineapple to chile
mixture and cook about 10 minutes to combine flavors. Add 1
tablespoon salt or more to taste. Stir in sugar. Mole should be
thick enough to coat spoon. Add more stock to thin, if needed.
Add chicken to mole and gently stir to completely coat chicken.
• Transfer to large, warm serving dish or platter. Place any
sauce that won't fit in serving dish in bowl and serve with corn
tortillas.
• This recipe yields 8 to 10 servings.