Mole negro is the deepest, darkest, and most complex of the seven moles of Oaxaca (a sauce of such formidable depth and so many ingredients that it is rarely made for fewer than twenty people and is reserved for the weddings, funerals, and saints' days that punctuate the Oaxacan calendar. The word mole comes from the Nahuatl molli, meaning sauce) the same root as ahuaca-molli (guacamole) (but where guacamole is made in minutes with five ingredients, mole negro requires hours and contains, in most traditional versions, between twenty and thirty distinct ingredients, toasted and ground separately before being combined in a sequence that every Oaxacan cook has memorised as a meditation.
The cloves in mole negro are part of the spice inheritance that arrived with the Spanish in the sixteenth century: cloves, black pepper, cinnamon, and cumin were folded by indigenous Oaxacan cooks into the existing Mesoamerican spice vocabulary of dried chillies, chocolate, and seeds, and the result) after several generations of refinement (is a sauce of astonishing complexity in which no single ingredient can be identified but all are necessary. The characteristic blackness of mole negro comes from a charred dried mulato chilli and, crucially, from the charring of the tortilla) a technique that produces a bitter, smoky carbon note that balances the richness of the fat and chocolate. The cloves sit in the background, lending warmth and a sweet spice note that amplifies the chocolate and moderates the chilli heat. This recipe is a home version: a serious undertaking, but achievable in a single afternoon.
½ ripe plantain or very ripe banana, peeled and sliced
30 g raisins
Aromatics
2 medium ripe tomatoes, quartered
4 tomatillos (or extra tomatoes), husked and quartered
1 medium white onion, roughly chopped
6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
Spices
6 whole cloves
8 black peppercorns
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 small piece of Mexican cinnamon (canela) or ½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
Finishing
60 g dark chocolate (70% cacao minimum), roughly chopped
2 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp caster sugar (optional: to balance the bitterness)
Liquid
1 litre rich chicken or turkey stock
To Serve
cooked chicken or turkey pieces, to serve
sesame seeds and fresh coriander, to garnish
Method
Toast the dried chillies: heat a dry comal or cast-iron pan over medium heat. Toast each chilli briefly, pressing flat with a spatula, for 10–15 seconds per side until they darken slightly and smell fragrant (not burnt. Reserve one chilli and char it directly over a gas flame or under a very hot grill until truly black on both sides) this is the chilli that gives the mole its dark colour. Soak all chillies in hot water for 20 minutes until soft. Drain.
In the same dry pan, char the tortilla directly over the flame or in the pan until it is completely blackened on both sides. Tear into pieces. Separately, fry the bread pieces, plantain, and raisins in a little lard until golden and fragrant. Set all aside.
In a hot dry pan, dry-roast the tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, and unpeeled garlic until blackened and soft. Peel the garlic when cool. Toast the whole cloves, peppercorns, cumin, and cinnamon together in the dry pan for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
In batches, blend the soaked chillies with enough stock to make a smooth paste. Then blend the roasted tomatoes, onion, and garlic. Then blend the bread, tortilla, plantain, and raisins with stock. Then blend the spices. Strain each paste through a medium sieve if a very smooth mole is desired.
Heat 2 tablespoons of lard or oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the chilli paste (it will splatter) and fry, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes until it darkens and thickens. Add the tomato paste and fry another 5 minutes. Add the bread-and-fruit paste and fry 3 minutes. Add the spice paste and fry 2 minutes.
Add the remaining stock (about 700ml) gradually, stirring to combine all the pastes into a unified sauce. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. Season with salt and sugar. Simmer over low heat, partially covered, for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes: mole can scorch on the bottom. It should be thick enough to coat a spoon. Serve over cooked chicken or turkey, garnished with sesame seeds and coriander.
Notes
Mulato and pasilla negro chillies are the essential varieties for authentic mole negro (the mulato for its fruity, chocolate-cherry character and the pasilla for its earthy, dried-fruit depth. Ancho chillies are more widely available and can substitute for either in a pinch. The combination of charred tortilla and dark chocolate is what gives mole negro its distinctive black-brown colour) do not reduce either. Mexican cinnamon (canela) is softer and sweeter than Vietnamese or Ceylon cinnamon; use Ceylon cinnamon rather than the harder Cassia varieties if canela is unavailable.
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