Oaxacan Mole Blanco

Ingredients

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (About 2½ pounds total; remove the skin if desired)
• 8 cup water (For poaching the chicken)
• salt (To taste, for the poaching liquid and sauce)
• 0.5 cup raw almonds (Lightly toasted; do not let them brown deeply)
• 0.5 cup raw peanuts (Unsalted and lightly toasted)
• 0.25 cup sesame seeds (Lightly toasted)
• 2 slice basic thin-crusted bread (Neither squishy-soft nor stale and brittle; torn into pieces)
• 0.5 white onion (Roughly chopped)
• 3 garlic cloves (Peeled)
• 1 habanero chili (Seeded to reduce the heat; substitute a fresh güero chili when available)
• 1 ripe pear (Cored and roughly chopped)
• 1 ripe apple (Cored and roughly chopped)
• 0.5 ripe plantain (Peeled and sliced; use a small plantain if large)
• 0.25 cup raisins
• 2 tbsp canola oil (For sautéing and blending)
• 0.25 tsp ground cinnamon
• 0.25 tsp ground allspice
• 3 cup chicken poaching liquid (Strained and reserved from cooking the chicken; add enough to create a smooth sauce)

Steps

1. 1

   Place the chicken thighs in a large pot and add the water and a generous amount of salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a bare simmer. Cook until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) at the thickest part and is tender, about 25–35 minutes.

2. 2

   Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and cover loosely to keep warm. Strain the poaching liquid; reserve about 3 cups for the mole and save the remainder for another use.

3. 3

   Meanwhile, heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds, peanuts, and sesame seeds. Toast, stirring frequently, until lightly golden and fragrant, about 3–5 minutes. Do not let them become deeply browned, or the mole will have a muddy color and flavor.

4. 4

   Add the oil to the skillet. Add the onion, garlic, seeded habanero, pear, apple, plantain, raisins, cinnamon, and allspice. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and the fruit begins to lightly caramelize, about 6–8 minutes.

5. 5

   Add the torn bread and about 1 cup of the reserved warm poaching liquid to the skillet. Simmer for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until the bread softens and absorbs some of the liquid.

6. 6

   Transfer the toasted nuts and sesame mixture and the softened fruit mixture to a blender. Add another 1–2 cups of poaching liquid and blend until completely smooth. Stop to scrape down the blender jar about every 15 seconds; unless using a high-powered blender, continue blending patiently until no gritty texture remains.

7. 7

   Pour the puree into a saucepan. Add enough of the remaining poaching liquid to reach a thick but pourable sauce consistency. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring often to prevent scorching, until heated through and slightly thickened, about 8–10 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt.

8. 8

   Arrange the warm chicken on a serving platter or individual plates. Spoon the mole blanco over and around the chicken and serve immediately.

Notes

The accessible page excerpt does not include the member-only ingredient list or directions, so the quantities and several components above are reconstructed from the dish description and traditional mole blanco technique rather than extracted verbatim. The source specifically advises using medium heat, stirring often, avoiding over-toasting, scraping down the blender every 15 seconds, and reserving leftover chicken-poaching liquid for another use.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• Mexican
• Oaxacan
• sauce
• poached
• chicken
• nut-based
• spicy