During the Mexican leg of my round the world journey I joined a tour group and together we travelled from Mexico City to the gulf of Mexico. As a group of 11, similarly aged, like minded travellers we got to enjoy the best of this amazing countries culture and cuisine, all whilst enjoying one another’s company. For all of us the watershed moment for both our bonding and our enjoyment came at the next stop on our culinary tour of Meso-America; Oaxaca. The town is regarded by many as the epicurean epicentre of Mexico and it’s easy to see why. For me and my fellow travel companions this historic city boasted many of the greatest foods and beverages we had yet to sample. To give you a flavour of my experiences (pun intended) I will attempt to explain some of the delectably authentic treats that can be enjoyed.
On our first day we had an orientation tour where we walked through the cities bustling markets. We sampled Oaxacan cheese (like a cross between mozzarella and halloumi), witnessed the creation of crude cocoa powder which we sampled in the form of milkshakes, tasted enriched egg buns used during the Dia de los Muertes celebrations and even sampled some fried, chilli coated grasshoppers. The grasshoppers incidentally had a pleasantly savoury flavour, laced with the aforementioned chilli – the only draw back was that the legs tended to get stuck in your teeth. We also enjoyed a trip to a Mezcal distillery, where we sampled over 22 varieties of this agave-based liquor. Mezcal is a strong, smoky, tequila like drink that is usually around 38% alcohol. The bus journey home from that particular tasting session will live long in my memory…
In addition, a few of us partook in a Mexican cookery class, where we made a variety of salsas and sides, as well as the distinctly Oaxacan Mole Negro. Mole is another dish that is usually attributed to the Nuns of the region. Much like the Chile en Nogada, this dish is exceptionally time consuming and tricky to prepare – those nuns must have had a lot of time on their hands. The version of the recipe I bring you here is the definitive Oaxacan mole. A dark, intensely rich, spiced and fruity sauce that is enjoyed with various cuts of meat, most commonly chicken and turkey. The etymology of the word mole suggests that the word meant a mix, which is understandable when you see the sheer number of ingredients used in this dish. This is the one and only time where I will not provide substitute ingredients for a recipe. The delicate interplay of the 26 ingredients, with their unique flavour and aroma characteristics, means that to change just one would be sacrilege and hugely compromise the end product. The hardest to acquire will no doubt be the dried chillis. But if you are already going to the great cost and effort of creating this dish then look about online. Mexican food stockists and even commercial stores like Amazon should help you to procure them. Good luck!
Level: high
Methods: stock making, reduced sauce, rendering spices
Skills: frying, blending
Time: 3 hours approx
Makes: Serves 6
Ingredients
5 dried ancho chillis
5 dried pasilla chillis
5 dried chilhuacle negro chillis
1/2 dried chipotle meco chilli
800g chicken joints (legs, thighs and drumsticks are good)
400g tomatoes
100g green tomatoes
1tbsp sesame seeds
10 cloves garlic
5 prunes
1 large plantain
1 slice bread
1tbsp raisins
1 onion, halved
1tbsp almonds
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
3 peppercorns
1/4 nutmeg, grated
200g dark (70% cocoa) chocolate
1tbsp thyme
1tbsp oregano
1tbsp cumin
1tbsp salt
3tbsp sugar
vegetable oil
Method
1. Remove the seeds, veins and stems from all of the dried chillis using a paring knife. Try to leave them largely whole.
2. Toast the chillis in a dry frying pan over a low heat. Turn them frequently until they change colour, begin to release their aroma and soften.
3. Place the toasted chillis in a bowl and cover with cold water. Massage gently to remove any acrid flavour and to help make them more mellow. Do not handle roughly or the chillis will crumble. Repeat this process once more with clean water.
4. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water (1-1.5 litres) to the boil. Add the chicken joints along with a pinch of salt, half the onion and five cloves of garlic.
5. After 30 minutes (or when the chicken is cooked through) take the pan off the heat. Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken to a plate, but make sure to save the chicken broth.
6. Fry the tomatoes with the remaining garlic and onions for approximately 10 minutes. Set aside.
7. You are now ready to start making your mole. Using a blender liquefy a third of the soaked chillis with a label or two of the chicken broth. Strain the puree into a large bowl using a fine sieve. Any of the tougher fibres that do not pass through can be returned to the blender and liquefied with the next batch of chillis and broth.
8. When all of the mixture has been blended and strained set the bowl aside till later.
9. Now fry the prunes and raisins over a medium heat. Remove to a plate.
10. Now saute the bread and plantain until well browned. Remove to a plate.
11. Finally, delicately fry the sesame seeds, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, oregano and cumin, until they start to sizzle and release their natural aromas. Place on a plate with the other fried ingredients.
12. Place all of the fried ingredients from the previous three steps into the blender with the almonds and a ladle of chicken broth. Strain into the mole.
13. Repeat the blending and straining process for the tomatoes, onion and garlic, adding them to the mole.
14. Heat 3-4 tablespoons of oil in a large pan until hot. Add the entire contents of the mole bowl. Fry, stirring frequently for at least fifteen minutes.
15. Add a few more ladles of chicken broth to achieve the correct consistency – the mole should be smooth and coat the back of a spoon.
16. Season with chocolate, sugar, salt and pepper to taste.
17. Serve by spooning the sauce over individual portions of the chicken. Do not add chicken directly to the mole pot as it can make the meat tough.
18. Enjoy with simple boiled rice.
Any remaining mole sauce can be stored in a refrigerator in an air tight container for at least a week. The flavour will actually improve. The mole can also be frozen, but some of the freshness may be lost.
Mastication / Destination 