Chicken Mole with Dirty Rice

Chicken Mole is a crazy Mexican taste sensation that is so unique.  It is like the first time you taste Curry and you say, were have you been all my life...were is t he washroom.  With Mole it blows your mind that you can eat chocolate with Chicken and call it Mexican.  It is super dark chocolate so it is rich and roasty not sweet.  Add some heat to it and it is an unbelievable flavour combination that in so unique.  I want to cook this for someone who has never had it and watch the look on their face when they taste it.  I will post that too.

This is a recipe in this months FOOD & DRINK from the LCBO, a must have, it is loaded with great recipes, and it is free.  Many of the recipes I'm trying form it are adaptations as I am always missing something.  This one is no exception, but it turned out incredible. So this is my version.


MOLE SAUCE
2 dried Ancho Chilies (I substituted good chill powder with some Chipotle peppers)
3 tbsp slivered Almonds ( roasted till light brown)
1 medium tomatoe, cored and chopped ( I used 6 Cherry tomatoes)
Oil
1 Small Onion
3 Cloves of Garlic
1/2 tblsp of Cumin and oregano (dried)
1 cup chicken stock
2 tbsn Raisins
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/4 cup good equality 90% dark chocolate (don't substitute this for anything but dark)
salt and Pepper


THE SEARED CHICKEN
2 breasts for the chicks and 6 thighs for the guys.
oil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 of chill powder, salt and pepper


DIRECTIONS


if you have the chillies fry in oil then add boiling water and soak for 30 minutes.
if you don't don't worry, I substituted later.


in dry skillet fry tomatoes till skin turn brown, careful not to burn
they should start smelling amazing, then remove
in same after tomatoes removed  cook onions till soft
add garlic, cumin and oregano cook till fragrant, 30 seconds.
return tomatoes and add stock raisins, and orange zest.  Bring it all to a boil and scrape up the bits from the bottom. 


Add the chocolate pieces and stir as it melts, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes till tomato is softened.


put in the blender with ground roasted almonds, and blend till fairly smooth,
This is were you would seed the chillies if you had them and add to blender.
what I did as I didn't have Ancho Chillies, I added 1.5 tblsn of chilli powder and 1/2 teaspoon of chipotle powder, you could add chipotle peppers or something really smoky to make taste amazing.  I also added a pinch of smoked pepper just in case it wasn't smoky enough




put in sauce pan and set aside till chicken is done


Lay the chicken out and cover with the oregano, chill, salt and pepper,
add oil to pan, get nice and hot and fry till they look amazing,
should only have to flip once.




when done, re heat the sauce and place it up.


I will add the recipe for the dirty rice in a bit.


amazing recipe, I will try it again with Ancho Chillies and tweak the recipe if I make any other changes.