Do you think chocolate only belongs in sweet desserts? Then you haven't yet discovered the culinary world of Mole Poblano - the famous Mexican dish in which chocolate is the secret protagonist. This chicken dish is much more than just a meal; it's a piece of Mexican history that unfolds on your plate.

The story behind the sauce

The origins of mole are shrouded in legend. Even before the colonial era, the Aztec people brought mole to their emperors and gods. One of the best-known stories is that it was created by nuns in a convent in Puebla in the 17th century. When an archbishop came to visit, the nuns wanted to serve him something special but only had leftovers. In their distress, they mixed all the available ingredients - from chilies and spices to nuts and... yes, chocolate - into a complex sauce. The result was so overwhelming that it is still celebrated as a national dish today.

What makes Mole so unique?

Mole Poblano is famous for its deep, multi-layered sauce. Its preparation is an art in itself, as it often involves dozens of ingredients. The base is formed by various dried chilies, including ancho, mulato and pasilla, which give the dish a smoky and fruity spiciness. Spices such as cinnamon, cloves and aniseed are also added to provide a warm sweetness. The real highlight, however, is the dark chocolate. It is added at the end to balance out the spiciness and bitterness of the chillies and give the sauce its velvety texture and deep, dark color.

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 200 °C.

Wash the poulard, pat dry and cut into eight pieces using a sharp knife or kitchen scissors. Rub with salt.

Heat 30 g of lard in a casserole dish on the hob and brown the poultry pieces on all sides. Then place the pan in the oven on the middle shelf and roast the poultry pieces for 45 minutes until light brown.

In the meantime, slice the peppers, removing the small white seeds. Pour over the boiling chicken stock and leave to stand for 30 mins.

Scald the almonds with boiling water and peel them off. Roughly chop the peeled onions and garlic clove. Blanch the tomatoes, peel and cut into quarters. Crumble the tortilla.

Finely chop the almonds in a food processor. Add the onions, garlic, tomatoes, raisins, tortilla crumbs, spices and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and process to a smooth puree. Pass through a fine sieve.

Melt the remaining lard in a pan and add the tomato mixture.

Simmer for five minutes. Then crumble the chocolate and add to the sauce. Simmer until the chocolate has melted.

Skim off the fat from the gravy with a spoon and deglaze with a little boiling water. Add the chocolate sauce and place the pieces of poulard on top. Heat again briefly, then serve immediately and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

Enjoy your meal!