Mole

5/1/2001

1 chicken, cut-up

4 quarts water

1 onion, sliced

1 teaspoon salt

10 guajillo chiles, dried

4 ancho chiles, dried

4 black peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon marjoram

Salt to taste

1/2 onion, chopped

1 teaspoon sesame seeds or 1/4 cup peanuts, deep-fried in oil

1 garlic clove

Boil chicken in water with onion and 1 teaspoon salt until tender, about 45 minutes. Reserve broth.

Prepare mole sauce by boiling dried chiles until soft. Remove stem and lift out seeds and membranes. In blender, add chiles, peppercorns, thyme, marjoram, salt, onion, sesame seeds or peanuts, and garlic. Blend. Sesame seeds don't blend as well as peanuts. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup chicken broth to desired thickness. Strain to remove any big pieces.

Serve mole on chicken like a sauce or gravy. Or cook mole with chicken if desired. To sweeten sauce, add a little peanut butter and mix well.

Yield: 6 servings

Source: Maria Espinoza and Claudia Espinoza