Mole de Cacahuate

Oaxacan peanut mole with dried chiles and tomato

Origin: Oaxaca & Veracruz, Mexico

From the journey of Peanut.

Before cacao chocolate became the defining luxury ingredient of Mexican mole, peanuts were the original oil-seed base of Mesoamerican sauces. The Aztec word for peanut, tlalcacahuatl, 'earth cacao', signals exactly this perceived kinship: an oily, flavourful seed ground into the foundation of a complex cooked sauce. Mole de cacahuate is the living heir to this pre-Columbian tradition: a bright, amber-red mole built on dried guajillo and ancho chiles, roasted peanuts, charred tomatoes, and warming spices. It is lighter and more accessible than mole negro, and arguably closer to the flavour profile of ancient Mesoamerican cooking before European chocolate, sesame, and raisins entered the mole tradition. This mole is deeply associated with Oaxaca's valley region and with Veracruz's coastal cooking, where it is spooned over chicken, pork, and enchiladas. The peanut provides both the sauce's body (replacing the nut-sesame base of more complex moles) and a rounded, mellow nuttiness that carries the dried chile heat without competing with it.

Ingredients

Mole Base

  • 200 g roasted unsalted peanuts
  • 4 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
  • 2 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
  • 1 dried chipotle chile or 1 tsp chipotle in adobo
  • 4 medium tomatoes, halved
  • 1 white onion, roughly chopped
  • 5 garlic cloves, unpeeled

Spice

  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 0.5 tsp dried Mexican oregano (or marjoram)
  • 1 small piece Mexican cinnamon (canela), about 3cm

Fat

  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil or lard

Liquid

  • 600 ml chicken stock or water, warmed

Seasoning

  • 1 tsp salt, or to taste
  • 1 tsp sugar or piloncillo, to balance (optional)

To Serve

  • 1 kg bone-in chicken pieces (or pork shoulder), for serving

Method

  1. In a dry comal or heavy frying pan over high heat, toast the dried chiles for 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant and pliable; do not burn. Transfer to a bowl, cover with hot water, and soak for 20 minutes.
  2. In the same dry pan over high heat, char the tomatoes, onion, and unpeeled garlic until blackened in patches; 8–10 minutes. Peel the garlic once cool.
  3. Toast the cumin seeds and cinnamon in the dry pan for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  4. Drain the rehydrated chiles, reserving 200ml of the soaking liquid. Combine the chiles, charred tomatoes, onion, peeled garlic, toasted spices, oregano, and peanuts in a blender. Add the reserved soaking liquid. Blend on high for 2–3 minutes until very smooth.
  5. Heat the oil or lard in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Pour in the mole carefully; it will spatter. Fry, stirring constantly, for 8–10 minutes until the mole deepens in colour and the fat begins to separate around the edges.
  6. Add the warm stock gradually, stirring to incorporate. Simmer for 20 minutes until the mole coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt and sugar if needed.
  7. Add browned chicken pieces to the mole and simmer for 25–30 minutes until cooked through and the sauce has thickened around the meat. Serve over white rice with warm corn tortillas.

Notes

Mole de cacahuate keeps and improves over 3–4 days in the refrigerator. The mole base (before stock is added) can be frozen for up to 3 months. This mole is also excellent as an enchilada sauce: spoon over rolled corn tortillas filled with shredded chicken or cheese, and bake at 180°C for 15 minutes.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

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