Mole Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 2 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 2 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, plus more for garnish
• 1 corn tortilla, torn into pieces
• 1 slice white bread, torn into pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground anise seed
• 2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

Method

1. 1

   Heat a dry 9-inch skillet over medium heat and toast the ancho, pasilla, and guajillo chiles, pressing flat with a spatula, until fragrant and slightly darkened, about 30 seconds per side.

   1:00 · Toast chiles
2. 2

   Transfer the toasted chiles to a bowl, cover with the chicken stock, and let soak until softened.

   20:00 · Soak chiles
3. 3

   Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in the skillet over medium heat and cook the onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

   5:00 · Cook onion and garlic
4. 4

   Add the chopped tomatoes and cook, stirring, until they break down and soften, about 5 minutes.

   5:00 · Cook tomatoes
5. 5

   Add the raisins, almonds, sesame seeds, torn tortilla, and bread, and cook, stirring, until the nuts and seeds are lightly toasted, about 3 minutes.

   3:00 · Toast nuts and seeds
6. 6

   Transfer the onion mixture to a blender. Drain the soaked chiles, reserving the stock, and add the chiles to the blender along with the cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, and anise.

7. 7

   Add 1 1/2 cups of the reserved chile stock and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed, about 2 minutes.

8. 8

   Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 6-quart saucepan over medium heat. Pour in the blended sauce, being careful of splattering, and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.

   5:00 · Fry the sauce
9. 9

   Stir in the remaining chile stock, chocolate, sugar, and salt. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until thickened and deepened in color, about 45 minutes.

   45:00 · Simmer mole
10. 10

    Taste and adjust salt as needed. If the sauce is too thick, thin with additional stock; if too thin, continue simmering uncovered.

11. 11

    Garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds before serving over chicken, enchiladas, or pulled pork.