Mole de Nuez

Name: Mole de Nuez
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mexico
Ingredients: 1.5 kg chicken, jointed into 8 pieces; 1.5 tsp fine salt (for the chicken); 2 tbsp neutral oil or lard; 150 g pecan halves, dry-toasted in a frying pan until fragrant and lightly browned; 3 dried ancho chillies, stems and seeds removed; 2 dried pasilla chillies, stems and seeds removed; 4 medium tomatoes, halved and dry-roasted in a frying pan until charred; 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled, dry-roasted until soft and slightly charred; 1 medium white onion, roughly chopped and dry-roasted until golden; 1 tsp ground cumin; 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon; 0.25 tsp dried thyme; 0.25 tsp dried oregano (Mexican if available); 1 tsp cider vinegar; 400 ml chicken stock; 1 tsp sugar or piloncillo, to balance (optional)

the pecan mole of northern Mexico: ground toasted pecans, dried ancho and pasilla chillies, roasted tomatoes, and warm spice ground together to a thick, richly nutty sauce for braised chicken in the tradition of the Chihuahuan hacienda kitchen

Origin: Chihuahua, Mexico

From the journey of Pecan.

The moles of northern Mexico are less well known internationally than the dark, complex moles of Oaxaca and Puebla, but they represent a distinct and significant regional tradition rooted in the hacienda cooking of the colonial period and the agricultural resources of the Chihuahuan desert and the mountain valleys of the Sierra Madre Occidental. The mole de nuez is the pecan mole of Chihuahua: a sauce in which ground toasted pecans form the body (thickening and enriching it in the way that ground almonds or pumpkin seeds do in other regional moles) combined with dried chillies, roasted tomatoes, garlic, and warm spice. The pecan's role in this mole is that of the structural nut: its fat emulsifies into the sauce as it is ground, its tannins provide a pleasantly bitter edge that balances the sweetness of the dried fruit and the heat of the chillies, and its deep, roasted flavour (intensified by dry-toasting before grinding) gives the sauce a warm, earthy complexity quite different from the walnut moles of Puebla or the almond-enriched sauces of the Yucatán. The Chihuahuan version is drier and less chocolate-forward than the southern moles; it relies on the quality of the dried chillies and the pecans themselves rather than on the many-spice complexity of mole negro. The dish is traditionally served with braised chicken pieces, the sauce poured over the meat and allowed to cook together for a final period so that the chicken absorbs the flavour of the mole and the sauce thickens around the meat. Rice and fresh corn tortillas are the obligatory accompaniments.

Ingredients

Meat

1.5 kg chicken, jointed into 8 pieces
1.5 tsp fine salt (for the chicken)

Fat

2 tbsp neutral oil or lard

Mole Base

150 g pecan halves, dry-toasted in a frying pan until fragrant and lightly browned
3 dried ancho chillies, stems and seeds removed
2 dried pasilla chillies, stems and seeds removed
4 medium tomatoes, halved and dry-roasted in a frying pan until charred
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled, dry-roasted until soft and slightly charred
1 medium white onion, roughly chopped and dry-roasted until golden

Spice

1 tsp ground cumin
0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
0.25 tsp dried thyme
0.25 tsp dried oregano (Mexican if available)

Acid

1 tsp cider vinegar

Liquid

400 ml chicken stock

Seasoning

1 tsp sugar or piloncillo, to balance (optional)

Method

Season the chicken pieces generously with salt. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy casserole over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in batches on all sides until deep golden. Remove and set aside.
Toast the dried chillies briefly in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 30 seconds each side until fragrant and pliable; do not scorch them or the sauce will be bitter. Transfer to a bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak for 20 minutes until soft. Drain, reserving 100 ml of the soaking water.
Combine the toasted pecans, reconstituted chillies, charred tomatoes, peeled roasted garlic, roasted onion, cumin, cinnamon, thyme, oregano, and vinegar in a blender with 200 ml of the chicken stock. Blend to a very smooth, thick paste, adding the reserved chilli soaking water as needed to achieve a pourable consistency.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the same casserole over medium-high heat until just smoking. Pour in the mole paste; it will splutter and spit. Fry the paste in the hot fat, stirring constantly, for 5–8 minutes until it darkens slightly, thickens, and the raw chilli and onion smell has cooked out.
Add the remaining chicken stock gradually, stirring to incorporate it into the mole paste. Taste and adjust: add the sugar if the sauce is too sharp, more salt if needed. Return the browned chicken pieces to the casserole, nestling them into the sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 35–40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and very tender.
Serve the chicken covered in the mole sauce, with a scattering of toasted pecan pieces over the top, warm corn tortillas, and Mexican rice alongside.

Notes

The quality of the pecans is central to this dish: fresh, well-toasted pecans produce a mole with a deep, warm, complex flavour; stale or poorly toasted pecans produce a flat, slightly rancid one. Dry-toast the pecans just before blending, and taste one after toasting to ensure they are fragrant and flavourful. The mole can be made 2 days ahead and refrigerated; it improves with resting as the chilli and pecan flavours integrate. Reheat gently with a little added stock to restore the consistency.

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control