Mole Verde: Green Mole
Recipe excerpted from My Mexico by Diana Kennedy
6 ounces unhulled raw pumpkin seeds, about 2 cups
2 cups chicken or beef broth
6 ounces tomates verdes (tomatillos), husks removed, rinsed, and coarsely chopped
6 large leaves lengua de vaca or sorrel, rinsed, stems removed, and coarsely chopped
4 leaves hoja santa, stems and veins removed, coarsely chopped
8 large sprigs epazote, 5 coarsely chopped, 3 left whole
4 jalapeno or 6 serrano chiles, coarsely chopped, or to taste
Approximately 1/4 cup pork lard or vegetable oil, for frying
Toast the pumpkin seeds in an ungreased pan, turning them over and shaking the pan from time to time to prevent them from burning. Set them aside to cool and then grind them in an electric grinder to a fine powder. Put 1 1/2 cups of the broth in a blender, gradually adding the tomates verdes, lengua de vaca, hoja santa, chopped epazote, and chiles, blending as smooth as possible.
Heat the lard in a flameproof casserole in which you are going to serve the mole and fry the blended ingredients, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking; cook for about 25 minutes. Add the rest of the epazote.
Stir 1/2 cup of the broth into the pumpkin seeds until you have a smooth consistency and gradually stir into the cooked ingredients. Continue cooking over low heat, stirring constantly for 10 more minutes. Take care that the pumpkin seed mixture does not form into lumps; if this happens, put the sauce back into the blender and blend until smooth. Add any remaining broth and salt, to taste. If the sauce is too thick, add a little water to dilute.
6 servings
Mole Verde
From My Mexican Kitchen, by Diana Kennedy
"While this mole is best eaten soon after it is made, to appreciate the flavor of all the fresh greens, it can be prepared ahead up to the point of blending and adding the greens. Heat varies very much according to taste, so the number of serranos is optional. Typically this mole has a thickish texture and thickens more as it stands so it may require diluting.
For all dishes of this kind, the larger and more compact the chicken the better — no fryers please. And adding extra giblets for a stronger broth is not a bad idea. This mole verde is also popularly made with espinazo, the backbone of the pig, which gives it a delicious flavor. I often make the mole with country-style spareribs cut into pieces."
The Meat
1 large chicken (3 1/2-4 pounds/1.575 to 1.8 kg), cut into serving pieces, or 4 1/2 pounds (about 2 kg) country-style spareribs, cut into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces
1 small white onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
Water or light chicken broth to cover
Sea salt to taste
1 pound (450g) giblets (optional)
The Sauce
5 ounces (140g) sesame seeds, about 1 cup (250ml)
1 1/2 ounces (45g) raw hulled pumpkin seeds, about 1/3 cup (83ml)
3 whole cloves
3 peppercorns
3 allspice berries
About 1/3 cup (83ml) lard or vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
6 ounces (180g) tomate verde (about 8 medium), roughly chopped
2 poblano chiles (unpeeled), seeds and veins removed and roughly chopped, about 1/2 cup (125ml)
6 to 8 serrano chiles, roughly chopped
8 romaine lettuce leaves, roughly chopped
5 green Swiss chard leaves, stems removed and discarded, leaves roughly chopped
1 large bunch cilantro, trimmed of thick stems and roughly chopped, about 1 1/2 cups (375ml) tightly packed
1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, about 1/2 cup (125ml) tightly packed
Put the chicken pieces, onion, and garlic into a large saucepan; add water or chicken broth to cover and add salt. Add the optional giblets if you are making this with water. Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat until the meat is almost tender but still firm, about 25 minutes. (A lot will depend on the quality of the chicken.) If using pork, cook for about 20 minutes longer. Strain, reserving the broth. Reduce or add water to make up to 6 cups (1.5L).
Put the sesame seeds into an ungreased skillet over medium heat, stirring them constantly until they become a deep golden color, about 5 minutes. Take care not to let them burn. Spread them out on a tray to cool. Put the pumpkin seeds into the pan and stir them until they begin to swell and start to pop around, about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool. When the seeds are cool, grind the sesame first with the cloves, peppercorns, and allspice to a slightly textured powder. Then grind the pumpkin seeds to the same texture. Transfer both to a bowl and stir in 1 cup (250ml) of the reserved broth to make a thick paste.
Heat about 3 tablespoons of the lard or oil in a heavy casserole, add the seed paste, and fry over medium-low heat, scraping the bottom of the pan constantly to avoid sticking — if necessary add a little more fat — until dry, shiny, and a rich deep golden color.
Unless you have a large blender jar you may need to blend the greens in two batches, but try to use the minimum of liquid. Put 1 cup (250ml) of the broth into the blender jar and add the garlic, tomate verde, and chiles and blend fairly smooth. Gradually add half of the greens and blend as smoothly as possible. Add the rest of the greens little by little, with just enough of the broth to enable the blades of the blender to work efficiently.
Gradually stir the blended ingredients into the fried seed paste over medium heat, stirring the mixture well after each addition. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce starts to reduce and thicken, for about 10 minutes. Add the remaining broth and cook for a further 10 minutes — pools of oil will form around the periphery. Add the meat, adjust salt, and cook for a further 10 minutes. Dilute with more broth or water if desired. Serve with corn tortillas.
6 - 8 servings
