Turkey Mole Verde Recipes

MOLE VERDE

Steps:

• Place the meat and bay leaf in a large casserole, and add just enough water to barely cover it. Turn heat to medium and cook for about 30 minutes with the lid on. The water will start to reduce, and the meat will start browning on its rendered fat. The slow cooking process will produce a tender meat. If after this period of time your meat still looks though, keep cooking and add a little bit more water as needed.
• While the meat is cooking, place tomatillos in a saucepan*, cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once it starts boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer until tomatillos are pale green and soft, about 6-8 minute.o
• Place the cooked and drained tomatillos in a blender with the pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, Serrano peppers, garlic, onion, romaine lettuce leaves, Hoja Santa leaves, cilantro leaves, spices, and 1 cup of water or chicken broth. Process until you have a very smooth sauce. Depending on your blender, you may need to work in batches.
• By this time, the meat should be starting to brown in the casserole. Pour the sauce over the meat and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to avoid the sauce from sticking to the bottom. Once the sauce starts boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently to allow all the flavors to be absorbed. Add the cubed vegetables and more water as needed.
• Keep slowly simmering until the vegetables are cooked, about 8 minutes. Serve warm with a nice portion of rice and corn tortillas to scoop up the mole sauce from the plate.

TURKEY MOLE VERDE

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add pumpkin seeds and toast, stirring constantly, until they swell, pop and turn a deep golden color, 3 to 4 minutes. Spread seeds out onto a baking sheet in a single layer to cool.
• Place sesame seeds in heated pan, and return pan to medium heat. Toast, stirring constantly, until they turn a deep golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Spread them out alongside pumpkin seeds to cool.
• When cool, place pumpkin and sesame seeds in the work bowl of a large blender (or food processor) and grind them into a fine powder. Transfer ground seeds to a medium bowl, add cumin and 1 cup turkey or chicken stock. Stir mixture to make a thick paste.
• Heat a large Dutch oven or similar pot over medium heat, and add neutral oil. When oil shimmers, add seed paste and fry, stirring and scraping constantly, until paste is dry and deep golden in color, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat.
• In the blender or food processor, purée onion, garlic, tomatillos and 1/2 cup chicken stock until smooth. Add chard, romaine leaves, jalapeños, cilantro and oregano and purée again.
• Return Dutch oven to medium heat, and transfer purée to the Dutch oven. Add in remaining 1/2 cup stock, shredded dark-meat turkey and salt and bring to a simmer, stirring from time to time. Simmer for 15 minutes, then add light-meat turkey and simmer 5 minutes more. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
• Serve with steamed white rice and corn tortillas. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

TURKEY BREAST IN MOLE VERDE SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. In small bowl, mix butter, wine, thyme, salt, paprika and chopped garlic. Brush turkey with butter mixture. Place turkey, skin side up, on rack in large shallow roasting pan. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of meat and does not touch bone. Roast covered 1 hour.
• Uncover; brush with any remaining butter mixture, roast about 1 hour and 30 minutes longer or until thermometer reads 180°F and juice of turkey is no longer pink when center is cut.
• Remove turkey from oven and let stand 15 minutes for easier carving.
• Meanwhile, in 5-quart Dutch oven, heat oil over medium high-heat. Add 2 cloves garlic, the onion and baguette. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are slightly softened. In blender, place 2 cups broth, the baguette mixture, 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds and the sugar. Cover; blend on medium speed, stopping blender frequently to scrape down sides, until pureed.
• Return sauce to Dutch oven. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes. Stir in remaining 2 cups broth. Cook 15 to 20 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Slice turkey; serve with sauce. Garnish with 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds.

TURKEY MOLE POBLANO

Steps:

• Heat about 3 cups water in a microwave-safe bowl for 3 minutes.
• Heat a griddle or comal over medium heat. Toast pasilla chiles, guajillo chiles, ancho chiles, cascabel chile, and morita chile for about 1 minute. Turn chiles over and toast until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove stems and seeds. Place chiles in the bowl of water; cover and let soak, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Place tomatoes on the hot griddle. Cook until blackened on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a blender.
• Heat 1/4 cup oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Transfer onion and garlic to the blender using tongs, tilting the skillet to reserve the oil.
• Toast cloves, sesame seeds, and coriander seeds in the hot skillet until fragrant and lightly browned, 30 to 60 seconds. Place in the blender. Cook cranberries in the skillet until toasted, about 1 minute; place in the blender.
• Pour an additional 1/4 cup oil in the skillet; reheat over medium heat. Stir in peanuts and almonds; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add to the blender, reserving oil in the skillet.
• Place tortillas in the hot skillet; increase heat to medium-high. Fry until slightly crisped, about 1 minute; place on a plate. Add the remaining oil and chocolate tablet to the skillet; cook and stir until melted, about 2 minutes. Pour into the blender.
• Place softened chiles and 1/3 of the soaking liquid into the blender. Add salt, white pepper, cumin, and oregano. Blend until smooth. Tear tortillas and add to blender; blend mole until smooth.
• Pour mixture into a large pot over low heat. Stir in broth slowly and add cinnamon stick. Simmer until slightly thickened and flavors meld, about 1 hour. Remove cinnamon stick. Pour mole over reheated turkey.

TURKEY MOLE

Steps:

• Toast pasilla chiles in a skillet over high heat until darkened on both sides, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl, and add 1 cup hot water. Let sit 10 minutes.
• Toast pepitas in skillet over medium heat, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Toast raisins, stirring until slightly puffed, about 1 minute; transfer to bowl. Brown bay leaf on both sides, 1 minute.
• Place chiles, soaking liquid, pepitas, raisins, bay leaf, tomato puree, oregano, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and cloves in the bowl of a food processor. Process 3 minutes.
• Set a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, coat with cooking spray. Add onions, garlic, and cumin; cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are slightly golden, 8 minutes. Stir in stock and the chile puree. Add turkey; cover. Simmer 1 1/2 hours.
• Using a wooden spoon, shred turkey in the pan. Cook 5 minutes more, and serve.

TURKEY MOLE NEGRO

Steps:

• One to three days before serving: Slit the chiles lengthwise and remove the seeds and veins. Tear them into flat pieces. Heat a heavy skillet or griddle pan over medium heat and add 1/4 cup of the lard. Toast the chiles for 1 or 2 minutes on each side, until toasty and slightly charred but not burned. Be very careful not to burn them. Transfer the chiles to a bowl with a slotted spoon and cover them with warm water. Soak overnight.
• In a large bowl, combine the roasted tomatoes, breaking them up, and the chocolate, also broken up. In a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder reserved for grinding spices, pulverize the peppercorns, cloves, allspice berries, and cinnamon. Add them to the tomato mixture and set aside.
• In a large heavy skillet, dry-toast the sesame seeds to a deep golden color, just 10 or 15 seconds. Add to the tomato mixture and repeat with the coriander seeds. Wipe the skillet which you used to toast the chiles and add the remaining 1/4 cup lard. Toast the almonds for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned through. Transfer them to the tomato mixture with a slotted spoon and repeat with the raisins, and then with the onions and garlic, pressing down on the ingredients with the back of the spoon to rid them of excess fat before transferring them to the bowl. If necessary, add a little more lard or oil to the pan and fry the tortillas until golden. Break them up and add them to the bowl, then brown the bread on both sides, tear into large pieces and add to the bowl. Stir the mixture together thoroughly, then place 1/4 of it in a blender jar with 1/2 cup of broth. Blend as smooth as possible, scraping down the blender jar. It is best not to add any additional liquid to the mixture; try to get it to move through the blades by pulsing on and off and scraping down the sides. Repeat with the remaining mixture, 1/4 at a time, adding 1/2 cup of broth to each batch. Strain the mixture through a medium-mesh sieve into a clean bowl and set aside. Now puree the drained chiles in the blender with about 1/2 cup of their soaking water, in 3 batches. Add a little more water if needed, and add the chipotle chile to the last batch. Strain the chile puree through the same sieve into a separate bowl.
• In a very large (at least 8 quarts), heavy covered casserole, heat 1/4 cup of the lard over medium-high heat. Add the turkey pieces and brown, in several batches, for about 4 minutes on each side. Remove to a roasting pan and set aside. Pour off the excess fat from the casserole, leaving just a little on the bottom, and return to the heat for a moment to heat up. Add the chile puree to the casserole and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan occasionally, for about 5 minutes. The mixture should be quite dark and thick. Add the other puree and cook for a few more minutes, until it thickens once again. Add 5 cups of the broth, partially cover the pan and cook for 45 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. Add the salt and the sugar and, if the sauce is thicker than heavy cream, thin it with a little more broth.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Pour the sauce over the turkey. Cover the pan and roast until the pieces are tender with no trace of pink remaining, about 2 hours. Remove the pan from the oven and spoon the fat off the top or, if serving the following day, ideally let the dish cool to room temperature and refrigerate so the fat will congeal, making it easier to remove. Skin the turkey and cut the meat from the bones, or serve the turkey in large pieces, as desired.
• Reheat in a 350 degree F oven for 15 to 20 minutes if needed, spooning some sauce over the top of the turkey pieces to give them a nice glaze. Scatter some sesame seeds over the top just before serving.

TURKEY MOLE

Steps:

• Make the turkey: Put the turkey, onion, celery, cilantro sprigs, cloves, allspice, star anise, peppercorns and 1 teaspoon salt in a large pot; add cold water to cover. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until very tender, about 1 hour, 30 minutes. Remove the turkey with tongs and transfer to a plate to cool slightly. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup or bowl. You should have about 8 cups broth; if you have more, simmer until reduced to 8 cups. Skim the fat off the surface. Remove the turkey skin; refrigerate the meat until ready to use. (The turkey and broth can be made 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate.)
• Make the mole: Preheat the broiler. Put the tomatillos, tomatoes, garlic and onion on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil, turning, until charred, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Remove the skins from the tomatoes and garlic.
• Heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the ancho and pasilla chiles in batches, turning, until softened, 30 to 45 seconds; transfer to a bowl. Fry the tortilla in the hot oil, turning, until browned, 4 minutes; add to the bowl with the chiles. Cover with water and soak 30 minutes, then drain. Add the chiles and tortilla to the bowl with the tomatillo mixture and set aside.
• Meanwhile, discard the oil in the skillet and wipe clean. Heat another 1/4 cup vegetable oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the almonds and fry, stirring, until golden, 3 minutes. Add the raisins and stir until plump, 30 seconds; transfer to a bowl using a slotted spoon. Add the pepitas and fry, stirring, until they begin to pop, 2 minutes; transfer to the bowl with the almonds.
• Discard the oil in the skillet and wipe clean. Heat the skillet over medium heat. Add the sesame seeds and toast, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes; transfer to a clean bowl to cool. Add 1 heaping tablespoon of the ancho chile seeds, the allspice, peppercorns, cloves, star anise and cinnamon stick to the skillet and toast, stirring, 2 minutes; transfer to the bowl with the sesame seeds and let cool. Grind the sesame-spice mixture in a spice grinder to make a fine powder.
• Put the fried almonds, raisins, pepitas, sesame-spice powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 2 cups of the reserved turkey broth in a blender and blend until smooth; transfer to a bowl. Working in batches, blend the broiled vegetables, fried chiles and tortilla, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 cups turkey broth until smooth.
• Heat the remaining 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pureed chile mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes (be careful-the mixture will spatter). Stir in the ground almond mixture and 2 cups turkey broth; bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Stir in the chocolate until melted. Add the turkey thighs and simmer until heated through, about 30 minutes. The mole should be the consistency of gravy; thin with more broth, if necessary. Season with salt. Serve with rice and tortillas.

TURKEY MOLE WITH RICE

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine the salsa, 1/4 cup peanuts, chipotle pepper, lime juice and cocoa; cover and process until blended., In a large skillet, cook turkey in oil over medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until no longer pink. Add broth and salsa mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. Serve with rice; sprinkle with cilantro and remaining nuts.

MOLE VERDE

Steps:

• Add the tomatillos, poblano, onion, serrano chiles and garlic to a large preheated comal or cast-iron skillet set over medium heat. Cook everything until lightly charred and soft on all sides, about 20 minutes. The poblano should take the longest to cook, while the garlic cloves will be done in about 5 to 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat a dry small to medium skillet over medium. Once warmed, toast the sesame seeds, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the toasted seeds to a large bowl and set aside.
• Toast the pepitas in the same skillet, stirring constantly, until golden, popped and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Add them to the bowl with sesame seeds.
• Toast the almonds in the same skillet, stirring constantly, until lightly seared and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Add them to the bowl with the seeds.
• Toast the bay leaves and cloves until the leaves lightly brown and the cloves become fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add to the same bowl with the seeds.
• Stem and seed the charred chiles, and add them along with the remaining charred ingredients and the toasted ingredients to a blender. Add the romaine, cilantro, epazote, hoja santa (if using) and 2 ½ cups vegetable stock. Blend until almost smooth yet slightly lumpy and textured. Use more of the vegetable stock as needed to smooth out the mixture. If you don't have a high-powered blender, you may need to blend in two batches, adding equal amounts of the wet and dry ingredients to each batch.
• Heat a large, deep pot over medium-low. Once warmed, add the oil. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, carefully add the mole from the blender. There will be some splatter. Stir in the salt and simmer the mole for 15 to 20 minutes, until the flavors meld together, stirring occasionally to make sure the mole doesn't burn at the bottom of the pot.
• Serve with seared mushrooms, tofu steaks or roasted cauliflower, paired with Mexican rice. Extra mole can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week or frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container.

TURKEY MOLE WITH RICE FOR TWO

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine the salsa, 2 tablespoons peanuts, chipotle pepper, lime juice, salt and cocoa; cover and process until blended., In a large skillet, cook turkey in oil over medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until no longer pink. Add broth and salsa mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes. Serve with rice; sprinkle with cilantro and remaining nuts.

TURKEY TAMALES WITH MOLE NEGRO

Steps:

• Have ready a steamer arrangement.
• Remove the banana leaves from the package; gently unfold and wipe clean with a clean damp cloth. With kitchen scissors, cut out eight 12 X 10-inch rectangles. Tear off long thin strips from the remaining leaves to serve as "string" ties for the packets. Set aside.
• Place the turkey pieces in a medium-size saucepan with the onion, garlic, peppercorns, and 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste). Add enough water to cover (about 4 cups) and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, partly covered, until the meat is falling off the bones, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the turkey pieces from the broth (which can be strained and saved for another purpose); when cool enough to handle, remove the skin and tear the meat into long shreds. You should have about 2 cups. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan, heat the mole to a boil over medium heat, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the shredded turkey. Set aside.
• Place the lard in a mixing bowl or the large bowl of an electric mixer set at medium speed. With a wooden spoon or the mixer blades, beat for 1 to 2 minutes, until somewhat aerated. Begin beating in the masa a handful at a time, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. At this point you must make a judgment call - whether or not to add a little liquid. The consistency should be that of a very thick, pasty porridge. When working with masa made from masa harina I sometimes find that I need to add 5 to 6 tablespoons of water or chicken stock to achieve this consistency. With other batches, I don't need to add any liquid. When the desired consistency is reached, beat in the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.
• Prepare the banana-leaf packets. Briefly hold each of the cut rectangles over an open flame to make them more pliable, or place for a few seconds on a hot griddle. Stack them by the work surface. Place a heaping 1/2-cup dollop of the masa mixture on each. With the back of a spoon, flatten out the masa slightly into an oval shape. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the turkey mole-filling over the masa.
• Fold over the right and left edges of one rectangle toward each other, overlapping slightly. Fold the top and bottom edges toward each other. You should have a neat flat packet (usually about 5 X 4 inches if you start with a 14 X 11-inch rectangle). Tie securely with leaf "string" ties.
• Place in the steamer. Banana-leaf tamales should lie on a flat platform such as a wire rack raised well above the level of the boiling water. Arrange them in layers as necessary, seam side up. Place some extra banana-leaf pieces on top to help absorb steam. Pour boiling water into the bottom of the pan to a depth of 1 to 2 inches, cover tightly, and steam over medium heat for 1 hour. Keep a kettle of water hot on another burner; occasionally check the water level in the steamer and replenish as necessary, always shielding your face from the steam. When they are done, remove the lid and let the tamales stand for 10 minutes before serving. Each guest unwraps his own.

TURKEY MOLE

Steps:

• Cut the turkey wing into 2 pieces, and the breast into 3 or 4 pieces. Place in large kettle with enough water to cover, and bring to a boil. Add the salt, and simmer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile brown the onion in bacon fat or oil. Add to kettle, along with garlic, chili powder, red pepper, nuts and chocolate. Cover and simmer until turkey is tender and the sauce is well blended and thickened. Correct seasoning. Add olives about ten minutes before serving, if you wish.
• Serve with polenta and a cucumber salad.

CROCK POT TURKEY VERDE

Steps:

• Place the turkey breast half in a 3-1/2 quart crockpot.
• Combine remaining ingredients, stirring, and pour over the turkey.
• Cover crockpot and cook on LO heat for 8 to 10 hours.
• To serve: cut the turkey into slices and wrap (with some sauce) in the warmed tortillas.

TURKEY WITH MOLE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together mole sauce and 1/2 cup water until smooth.
• In a large heavy-bottom saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, heat oil over medium-high. Season turkey with salt and pepper; cook, rounded side down, until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn breast; pour mole mixture over turkey.
• Cover tightly; bake until turkey is no longer pink in the middle (an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part should register 165 degrees), about 40 minutes. Transfer turkey to a cutting board; let rest 10 minutes before thinly slicing.
• Stir sauce in pan to combine; serve with turkey. Garnish with sesame seeds, if desired.