Researching the history of the capsicum really opened my mind up to the history of what is definitely one of my favourite ingredients. I am going to refer to bell peppers as capsicums and chillies as chillies this week so as not to confuse you - or myself for that matter. Since chillies originated in the Americas, at least as early as 7500 BC and have been cultivated there since 6000 BC, it is fitting that I choose a dish to match. The first dish out of the kitchen this week is a Mexican classic, chicken with mole poblano. Now, for most Australians we have only been exposed to the "Tex Mex" served up at establishments like Montezuma's with nachos, tacos and burritos. However true Mexican cuisine is far removed from these dishes.
Mole poblano - what a fantastic sauce which is like nothing else I have tasted! The incredible depth of flavour in this sauce stems from the use of chillies. I used three types of chillies, and over 10 chillies in all. However before you envisage your face turning a bright red and steam pouring from your ears like a Warner Brothers cartoon from one spoonful, think again. Two of the types of chillies I used were very mild. I used dried mulato and pastilla chillies which have a rich, complex taste and intoxicating fragrance. I paired these with a habenero chilli which is incredibly hot, but equally fragrant when cooked. The sauce also contained tomato, almonds, raisins, spices such as cinnamon and cloves and a small amount of dark chocolate. The sauce is a perfect example of building depth in flavour. Like the construction of harmonies in music, each flavour strikes a different note and the experience in your mouth starts with the scent of spice and chilli, then moves to the spice and nutty sweetness on the palette and finishes with a warm heat from the chilli and touch of bitterness from the chocolate. Roasted or smoked chicken is the perfect match for this mexican culinary masterpiece.
Recipe for Mole Pablano
ReplyDelete6 dried pasilla chillies
10 dried ancho chillies
8 dried guajillo chillies
2 cup almonds unskinned
1 tbspn peanut oil
2 cup raisins
5 tomatoes
6 tomatillos, tinned (small green Mexican tomatoes - fresh if you can get them)
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
2 corn tortillas, cut into 1 cm strips
7 cloves roasted garlic, peeled
2 cups water
4 tsp ground cinnamon
4 whole cloves, ground
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp salt
3 tbs peanut oil
6 juniper berries, ground
3 triangles of Mexican Ibarra chocolate
3 tbspns peanut oil
Roasted sesame or pepita seeds for garnish
De-seed the dried chillies, then toast them on a flat-top griddle or in a dry saute pan for about 20 seconds or until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the chillies or they will become bitter. Then place the chillies in a bowl and rehydrate them by pouring in 2 litres of boiling water. Cover the bowl and let it stand for about 20 minutes. Strain the chillies and reserve the liquid.
In a skillet, saute the almonds in peanut oil over a medium-low heat until browned. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and set aside.
Put the raisins in enough warm water to cover. Soak till soft; about 20 minutes.
Place the tomatillos and tomatoes under the grill and blacken the skins, turning to blacken evenly. The skins should be charred, but do not 'cook' the fruit. This takes about five minutes.
Dry roast the pumpkin seeds in a saute pan for about five minutes until they finish popping. Do not let them burn.
Place the tomatillos, tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, almonds, tortilla strips, rehydrated chillies, raisins, garlic, water, spices, salt and melted chocolate in a blender and puree together. You will probably have to do this in batches. For extra flavour, use the water from the rehydrated chillies if it is not bitter. Strain the puree by pushing through a sieve. Throw away the solids.
Heat the 3 tbspn of peanut oil over a medium-high heat in a high-sided pan until almost smoking. Reduce the heat to medium, add the sauce and fry for 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook the sauce for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Do not allow the sauce to get too thick; add more water if necessary. Again, you can use the water from the rehydrated chillies if it is not bitter.
Serve this sauce over chicken breast, turkey or any other deep-flavoured dish. Serve warm, not hot and sprinkle roasted sesame or pepita seeds on top for garnish.