← Nouns Cooking · Mexican

Ingredients

• 1.8 kg chicken pieces
• ½ Onion
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 6 dried pasilla (negro) chillies, stemmed, seeded, seeds kept
• 6 dried mulato (or ancho) chillies, stemmed, seeded, seeds kept
• 4 dried chilhuacle negro or guajillo chillies, stemmed and seeded
• 35 g raw almonds
• 35 g raw peanuts
• 30 g Pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• 40 g sesame seeds, plus extra to garnish
• 35 g Raisins
• 1 very ripe (black) plantain, sliced
• 1 slice day-old bread or egg bread
• 1 stale corn tortilla
• 4 Tomatillos, husked
• 2 plum tomatoes
• ½ white onion, thickly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 1 Mexican cinnamon stick (canela), about 7 cm
• 4 whole cloves
• 4 allspice berries
• ½ tsp black peppercorns
• ¼ tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 tsp Dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
• 90 g Mexican chocolate (1 tablet), chopped
• 5 tbsp lard or oil, divided
• 1 tbsp Sugar (optional)

Method

1. Simmer the chicken with the half onion, 2 garlic cloves, salt and water to cover for 35–40 min, until cooked through (75°C / 165°F). Lift out the chicken and keep about 1.5 litres of broth.
2. Toast the chillies in a dry heavy pan over medium heat a few at a time, pressing flat, for 20–30 seconds per side, until very dark and fragrant but not acrid. Soak them in hot water for 30 min. Toast the reserved chilli seeds in the same pan until black, then soak them in water for a few minutes and drain (this takes away harshness).
3. Char the tomatillos, tomatoes, sliced onion and unpeeled garlic in the dry pan over medium-high heat for 10–12 min, turning, until blackened and soft. Peel the garlic.
4. Heat 1 tbsp lard over medium-low heat and toast, one at a time, the almonds, peanuts and pumpkin seeds until golden (about 2 min each), then the sesame seeds for 1–2 min. Fry the raisins until puffed, the plantain until deep brown, then the bread and tortilla until crisp. Toast the whole spices and dried herbs for 30 seconds.
5. Blend everything except the chocolate in batches with the drained chillies and enough broth to move the blades, until completely smooth. Push it through a sieve for the classic velvety texture.
6. Heat the remaining lard in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the paste (it will spit), stirring constantly, and fry for 10 min, until it darkens and thickens like jam.
7. Stir in the chocolate and 1 litre of broth. Simmer very gently, stirring often so it doesn’t catch, for 45 min–1 hour, adding more broth until it coats a spoon thickly. Season with salt and the sugar if it tastes bitter.
8. Add the chicken and simmer for 10 min to heat through. Serve scattered with sesame seeds, with rice and warm tortillas.

Tips

• Contains peanuts, almonds and sesame, and the bread and tortilla mean it isn’t gluten-free; swap the bread for an extra tortilla if you need it to be.
• The paste keeps for weeks in the fridge and months frozen, so many cooks make a double batch over a weekend.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Rick Bayless Food Network