Yellow Mole Recipes

AUTHENTIC MOLE SAUCE

Steps:

• Toast guajillo chiles, ancho chiles, and chipotle chiles in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until warm and aromatic, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the blender with chicken broth.
• Heat 2 cups chicken broth in a saucepan until it begins to simmer, about 5 minutes. Pour broth into a blender.
• Toast dinner roll pieces and tortilla strips in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the blender with chicken broth and chiles
• Allow the chiles and toasted bread and tortillas to soak, fully submerged, in the chicken broth until softened, about 10 minutes. Blend the mixture until smooth.
• Cook tomatoes and tomatillos in a dry skillet on medium-high heat until soft and blackened, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Place tomatoes in the blender with the chile puree.
• Melt lard in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, garlic, peanuts, raisins, cumin seeds, thyme, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and allspice berries; cook and stir until onions are soft and golden, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the cinnamon sticks and other whole spices; add onion mixture to the blender with the chile-tomato mixture and blend until smooth.
• Pour chile puree into a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in chocolate chicken broth, sugar, and salt. Bring mixture to a simmer; stir until chocolate is melted and sauce is thickened and slightly reduced, 10 to 15 minutes.

MOLE AMARILLO -- MEXICAN YELLOW SAUCE -- YELLOW MOLE SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring 2 cups of water to a boil.
• In a dry cast-iron skillet or comal, toast the guajillo and ancho chiles over medium-low heat for 2 minutes, until fragrant; turn them and shake the pan so they don't scorch.
• Put the toasted chiles in a bowl, cover with the boiling water, and let soak until softened and reconstituted, about 20 minutes.
• Return the skillet to medium-high heat to get quite hot.
• Rub the onion, garlic, tomatillos, and tomato with the oil.
• Lay the vegetables in the hot pan and roast, turning occasionally, until soft and well charred on all sides, about 10 minutes.
• Put the vegetables in a bowl to let them cool a bit.
• Meanwhile, grind the peppercorns and cloves in a coffee grinder or spice mill.
• Put everything together in a blender or food processor and puree in batches until completely smooth.
• Melt the lard in a skillet over medium heat and pour in the puree.
• Cook and stir for 5 minutes, until the mole deepens in color.
• In a small bowl, mix the masa harina with 1/4 cup of warm water until smooth and lump-free.
• Whisk into the sauce and continue to simmer for 5 more minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened and able to coat the back of a spoon.

TAMALES WITH YELLOW MOLE: TAMALES DE AMARILLO MOLE

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl soak the corn husks for 30 minutes.
• In another bowl, add the masa harina and salt and with a whisk, mix well. Slowly add the chicken stock to the masa harina and mix well until a dough-like consistency. Make 10 ping-pong ball size balls of dough.
• In a plastic-lined tortilla press (both sides), press out each ball of dough to form a 5-inch round (about the size of the press). Carefully remove the tortilla, and place a spoonful of amarillo mole sauce, a spoonful of shredded cooked chicken. Fold each side of the tortilla and place in a corn husk length-wise. Secure both ends with a string or part of the husk used as a string, and repeat process.
• Steam for 30 minutes.
• Toast chiles on a griddle. Remove and place in a bowl. Cover with boiling water and let stand for 20 minutes.
• In a hot cast iron pan, roast the onion, garlic, tomatillos, and green tomatoes. Roast until well charred on all sides. Place in a bowl and let cool.
• Meanwhile grind peppercorns and cloves in coffee grinder. When the vegetables are cool enough to handle peel off the charred skin and puree them in a blender with the hoja santa leaves, drained chiles, and spices.
• In hot pot, heat the lard, add the pureed strained sauce, and cook for 5 minutes.
• In a small bowl, add the masa harina and water. Mix until well blended. Add this mixture to the sauce and cook for 5 minutes more, until done.

GRILLED TUNA WITH YELLOW MOLE SAUCE AND CHAYOTE SUCCOTASH

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan until smoking. Add the tortillas and fry until crisp, remove to a plate. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and cook until soft. Remove. Add the pumpkin seeds to the pan and cook until golden. Add the stock, peppers, mango, tomatillos and raisins and cook for 30 minutes over medium-high heat. Place the mixture and the fried tortillas in a food processor and process until smooth. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan until smoking. Add the tortillas and fry until crisp, remove to a plate. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and cook until soft. Remove with Add the pumpkin seeds to the pan and cook until golden. Add the stock, peppers, mango tomatillos and raisins and cook for 30 minutes over medium-high heat. Place the mixture and the fried tortillas in a food processor and process until smooth.
• Pour the mixture into a clean medium saucepan and cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Add the chocolate, honey, cloves and salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Brush tuna with oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat grill pan over high heat. Sear tuna on both sides for 1 to 2 minutes. Serve rare-medium rare.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Rub the chayote with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast until just cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove, let cool slightly and slice in half vertically. Scoop out the flesh of the chayote and remove to a plate. Reserve the shells.
• Heat the remaining oil in a large saute pan. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add the pepper and zucchini and cook for 5 minutes. Add the lima beans and corn and cook an additional 5 minutes. Stir in reserved chayote flesh. Add the butter, lime juice and cilantro and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Scoop the mixture into the roasted chayote shells.

OAXACAN YELLOW MOLE FILLING

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatillos, cinnamon, oregano, cloves and peppercorns. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the tomatillos are tender, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the chilies in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak until very soft, 10 to 20 minutes. Place the tomatillo mixture in a food processor. Pulse to partly puree. Add the chilies, one at a time, tasting after each addition until the filling is as hot as you like it. Puree until smooth. Season to taste with salt. Follow directions for basic tamales.