Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Chicken Mole for the Lazy Cook



So, I've been reading Lynne Rosetto Kasper's How to Eat Supper and she had a wonderful recipe for bittersweet chocolate chipotle dressing, which she casually mentions could easily be adapted into make a "cheaters" mole. Every mole recipe I've ever seen has a list of ingredients a mile long and takes all day to make. This mole sauce can be ready in less than 30 minutes. Wow - big time saver. I thought I would give it a whirl and see if I could make a decent mole with minimal effort.

Here is my adaptation of Kasper's instructions. I varied the recipe a bit, and I was quite pleased with the results. The mole is so easy to put together and you could even use a rotisserie chicken if you are in a rush. The sauce would also be great over big grilled gulf shrimp.

Chicken Mole the Easy Way



1 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 whole chipotle in adobo (also 2 t. of adobe sauce from the can)
1/2 C chopped tomatoes or grape tomatoes
2 T whole salted almonds
2 T cider vinegar
1/2 onion, chopped finely
1 garlic clove, minced
1 T olive oil
Cilantro, chopped fine
2 large bone-in chicken breasts, roasted, skins removed and chopped into large chunks
1/2 C chicken broth or water, as needed

Into your food processor place the chocolate, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, tomatoes, almonds and cider vinegar. Whirl it all up until it is the consistency of a thick paste. The almonds and chocolate should be finely ground. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and add the onions. Cook over medium heat until the onions are soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Dump in the sauce from the food processor. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth or water if the sauce reduces too much (I added about 1/4 C. chicken broth). Add in the chopped chicken and continue to let simmer for about 5-7 minutes. Taste and add salt/pepper as necessary.

Serve over rice and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Makes 4 normal sized portions.

This is going into the rotation. Very good, super easy.


2 comments:

  1. You're getting pretty good at this. Bring your camera closer for a close-up so we can really see how delicious the dish looks. Good job. Looking forward to seeing more.

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  2. Thanks Gloria - my photography skills are somewhat lacking, that is for sure!

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