CHOCOLATE MOLE

- 10 dried ancho or poblano chiles
- ¾ cup(120g) raisins
- 3 ounces (85 g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 1 ¼ cups (310 ml) water or chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon canola or neutral-flavored oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons (35 g) sesame seeds (reserve a few to sprinkle over the finished dish)
- ¾ cup (60 g) sliced almonds, toasted
- 3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped (see Note), or 1½ cups (375 ml) canned tomatoes and their juice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon dried Oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon ground anise seeds
- 1½ teaspoons coarse salt Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ to 1 teaspoon chile powder, optional
Instructions:
And how can you not love mole? Here’s my version, which everyone seems to like whenever I make it.
- Remove the stems from the chiles. Slice them in half lengthwise and scrape out most of the seeds. Put the chiles in a nonreactive pot, cover with water, set a small plate on top to keep the chiles submerged, and simmer for 10 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and let stand until cool.
-  Put the raisins and chocolate in a blender. Heat the water, then pour it in the blender mixture and let stand for a few minutes to soften the chocolate.
- In a nonstick skillet, heat the oil, then sauté the onion until limp and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a few more minutes, stirring frequently.
-  Drain the chiles and add them to the blender along with the onion and garlic, sesame seeds, almonds, tomatoes, all the spices, salt, and a few turns of pepper. Puree until smooth. Taste, and add more salt and chile powder if you wish to spice it up.
- STORAGE: Mole can be covered and refrigerated for up to five days. The mole can also be frozen for up to three months in a freezer bag. I recommend dividing three months in a freezer bag. I recommend dividing a batch in half and freezing some since this recipe makes quite a bit.
- NOTE: To easily peel and seed fresh tomatoes, cut an X in the bottom and drop in simmering water for about 15 seconds. Drain in a colander and run cool water over them to stop the cooking. Slip the skins off, slice in half crosswise, then squeeze gently to extract the seeds.