Shared by Ilan Stavans
Shared by Ilan Stavans
Pollo con Mole y Arroz (Chicken with Mole and Rice)
Yield: 4-6 servingsTime: 2 hours
Pollo con Mole y Arroz (Chicken with Mole and Rice)
Yield: 4-6 servingsTime: 2 hoursFamily Journey
Poland and BelarusMexico CityNew York City
Amherst, MA
Moles, thick, rich Mexican sauces made with chile peppers, nuts, seeds and warming spices, are beloved across Mexico. Served here draped over pieces of roasted chicken, cookbook author Ilan Stavan’s version features Oaxacan dark chocolate in the mix, which adds depth and warmth to the sauce. Source the chiles at a well-stocked spice store, or online. Serve with fresh tortillas and Ilan’s arroz rojo, a tomato-hued rice flecked with peas and carrots.
Read more of Ilan’s family story in “A Mexican Shabbat With Yiddish Songs Find a New Home in Amherst” and get his recipes for sopa de tortilla (tortilla soup) and poppyseed flan.
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 4-5 lbs kosher roasting chicken, patted dry and giblets removed
- Pinch of salt and black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- Bunch of fresh thyme
- 3 tablespoons olive oil or softened vegan butter
- 1 onion, cut in half
For the rice:
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 medium plum tomatoes, stems removed and finely chopped
- 1 medium garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
- ½ white onion, finely chopped
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 1 cup frozen mixed peas and carrots
For the mole:
- 4 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeds removed
- 4 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeds removed
- 4 dried chilhuacle negro chiles, stemmed and seeds removed
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- ½ medium white onion
- 2 large tomatoes, seeds removed, finely chopped
- 3 medium garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 medium ripe plantain, peeled and sliced
- 3 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 (1-inch) slice stale challah, torn into large pieces and toasted
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 tablespoon golden raisins
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- 4 oz. Oaxacan dark chocolate, broken into pieces
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 425F. Place the chicken in a large roasting pan. Salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Cover the inside with half of the olive oil or vegan butter. Then stuff the inside with the thyme, bay leaf, and both sides of the onion.
Step 2
Smear the outside of the chicken with the rest of the olive oil or vegan butter and salt and pepper all over. Tie the legs together.
Step 3
Roast the chicken for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the juices run clear. Remove from the oven and let cool. Meanwhile, make the rice.
Step 4
Rinse the rice in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear. Set aside. Add the oil to a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the rice and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the rice is lightly golden brown all over, about 10 minutes.
Step 5
Add the tomatoes, garlic and diced onion to the pan. Stir. Add the chicken broth, salt and peas and carrots to the pot.
Step 6
Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes or until the water is completely absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before fluffing with a fork. Set aside.
Step 7
Make the mole: Working in batches as necessary, place the ancho, pasilla, and chilhuacle negro chiles in a large, dry frying pan over medium heat and toast, turning once, until fragrant, about 1 minute per side.
Step 8
Transfer the toasted chiles to a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let soak for 20 minutes, then drain, reserving the soaking liquid. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the same frying pan set over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6–8 minutes.
Step 9
Add the tomatoes and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, 5–7 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender along with ½ cup of the chicken broth and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Step 10
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the frying pan. Add the plantain and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer half of the cooked plantain to the blender, reserving the rest for garnish. Add the toasted challah to the blender.
Step 11
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the frying pan. Add the almonds, cinnamon sticks, cloves, raisins, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, oregano, cumin, and allspice to the frying pan and toast, stirring often, until fragrant, 2–3 minutes.
Step 12
Add the spice mixture to the blender along with the remaining 3 cups of the chicken broth and blend until very smooth. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Add the soaked and drained chiles, along with 1½ cups of the soaking liquid, to the blender and blend until smooth.
Step 13
Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the blended chiles and cook, stirring often, until the mixture thickens, 5–10 minutes. Add the tomato mixture and cook, stirring often, until thickened, 8–10 minutes. Add the plantain mixture and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, 8–10 minutes.
Step 14
Stir in the chocolate, sugar, and salt and cook until the mole is very thick, making large, slow bubbles, about 15 minutes. Taste and add more salt, if needed.
Step 15
To serve: carve the chicken into pieces. Reheat in a 300F oven until hot. Remove from the oven. Place chicken pieces on a plate, then pour the mole on top. Serve with Ilan’s arroz and tortillas on a tortilla warmer.
