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Papantla-Style Mole Sauce with Chicken

Mole Papantla con Pollo
This is adapted from a recipe by Carmen Degollado, owner-chef of El Bajio Restaurant in Mexico City. Carmen also teaches and made this delicious and unusual mole in a cooking class I attended. It's definitely worth the time spent to prepare it. Papantla is a region in the state of Veracruz near the Gulf coast.A ripe plantain should be used in this recipe, because it will be sweeter, softer, and much less starchy than hard green plantains. Piloncillo is unrefined sugar that's pressed into hard cones or disks. It's available in Mexican markets and in the Mexican section of some supermarkets. Brown sugar is a good substitute for piloncillo. For cooking or baking, piloncillo is often dissolved in broth or water. It can also be pulverized in a food processor, or grated by hand. Serve the chicken with rice.
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Ingredients

Makes 8 servings

  • 4 chicken thighs on the bone
  • 4 chicken breast halves on the bone
  • 4 cups canned chicken broth
  • 8 ancho chiles seeded, veins removed, and toasted
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 12 ounces about 5 to 6 Roma tomatoes, cored
  • 1 corn tortilla torn into pieces
  • 1 slice of sweet baguette 1⁄2-inch thick
  • 1 ripe plantain skin a bit yellow, but mostly dark in color and slightly soft when lightly pressed, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 10 whole cloves
  • 1 cinnamon stick Mexican canela or Ceylon variety preferred, broken into pieces
  • 2 canned chipotle chiles en adobo seeded, or 1 tablespoon chipotle salsa, purchased or homemade
  • 2 ounces piloncillo Mexican raw sugar cones sold by weight, or dark brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • Chopped fresh cilantro
  • Lime wedges

Instructions

  • Cook all the chicken pieces in the chicken broth in a large pot until cooked through and tender.
  • Cook the breasts 20 minutes; then remove them to a bowl and cover, to prevent overcooking.
  • Remove the thighs about 10 minutes later (or 30 minutes total), and put them in the bowl with the chicken breasts.
  • Keep the broth warm over low heat until added to the sauce.
  • In a medium skillet, toast the anchos until aromatic and slightly blistered.
  • Do not burn.
  • Put the anchos in a medium bowl and cover with hot water.
  • Soak about 20 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 325°.
  • In the same skillet used for toasting the anchos, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
  • Add the tomatoes, tortillas, bread, plantain, cloves, and canela.
  • Cook, stirring, frequently, until the tomatoes soften and the skins blister and char lightly.
  • Transfer the skillet ingredients to a blender.
  • Add 2 cups of the reserved chicken broth, the soaked anchos, and the chipotles.
  • Blend until very smooth.
  • Transfer the blended sauce to a large heavy ovenproof pan or casserole dish.
  • Cook, stirring, until the sauce comes to a boil, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the piloncillo and 1 cup of the reserved broth.
  • Cook, stirring, over low heat, until the sugar melts, about 5 minutes.
  • The sauce should have the consistency of heavy cream.
  • If too thick, add additional hot broth.
  • Add salt.
  • Add the cooked pieces of chicken to the pan, and transfer to the oven and cook until the chicken is no longer pink inside, and the sauce is simmering, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve hot.
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Course; Chicken
Cuisine; Mexican