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Hound Dog

Apr 11, 2010, 10:27 AM

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Chiapanecan Mole

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We have long-time Coletos who are friends in today showing us how to prepare Chiapanecan Mole from scratch and I mean scratch. So far, everything has been fried in lard (manteca) and they use a secret ingredient for which they have a mysterious name but what is really what Americans would know as MSG,

Things are proceeding apace. An update later but since this is normally a festive dish and many folks will be here to share it with us, further reports may be slow in coming as we all feast on mole and get loaded on Mexican beer..

(This post was edited by Hound Dog on Apr 11, 2010, 10:28 AM)

La Isla

Apr 11, 2010, 10:52 AM

Post #2 of 6 (7155 views)

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Re: [Hound Dog] Chiapanecan Mole

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Too bad that you can't send smells and tastes through the internet. ¡Buen provecho!

Hound Dog

Apr 11, 2010, 11:16 AM

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Re: [La Isla] Chiapanecan Mole

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Too bad that you can't send smells and tastes through the internet. ¡Buen provecho!

Give me time and I will try to do tha La Isla. Some people who post on various forums are adept at describing dog poop as foie gras but I will try to honor this regional dish with an honest opinion including disdain if it fails to meet the challenge when the dish is ready.

I have written of the sublime tamales of Chiapas and continue to love these concoctions but, damn, there is a ton of lard in those chicken and pork sammiches so I must restrain myself.

Hound Dog

Apr 11, 2010, 12:38 PM

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Re: [Hound Dog] Chiapanecan Mole

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I had a taste of the Chiapanecan mole and I must say it reminds me of the old Ethiopian "Injera & Wat" national dish that I tasted repeatedly in Addis Ababa in the 1960s on my way from Cairo to Capetown or, as it turned out, Calcutta, but let´s go into that when I return. If you want an injera & Wat recipe which might be normally made with something akin to buckwheat flour, just say so.

(This post was edited by Hound Dog on Apr 11, 2010, 3:24 PM)

Hound Dog

Apr 13, 2010, 10:35 AM

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Re: [Hound Dog] Chiapanecan Mole

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Well, we enjoyed both the preparation and consuming of the Chiapanecan style black mole which our local friends serve with corn tortillas not rice and it was very good although I remain more fond of the Oaxaca style black mole prepared by our friends in Teotitlan Del Valle just outside of Oaxaca City. I find the Oaxaca style mole to be a bit more spicy and complex but both styles of mole are very good.

In the highland town of San Cristóbal De Las Casas, the mole might be served as was this one with a Spanish style Sopa de Pan not untypical of the same dish found in Spain with regional variations. This soup is actually more the consistency of a savory bread pudding as opposed to a liquid soup ant the distinction is important. The sopa de pan is prepared in Chiapas; we are told, only where the Spanish settled as in the highlands and not along the coast as in, say, the Tapachula area where there was far less Spanish influence early on.

Now, be forewarned that these dishes require the use of a great deal of lard although one could substitute a good Spanish extra virgin olive oil but then the dish will not be authentically Chiapaneca,

I'm not a professional recipe writer and so these recipes are to give you an idea of the bases for these dishes.

MARIA´S CHIAPANECAN STYLE BLACK MOLE

Poach a whole chicken in water with onions and tomatoes in sufficient volume to yield a bit of caldo de pollo that will be used later.

Seed and de-rib (approximately):
4C of ancho chiles
2C of mulato chiles
2C of pasillo chiles

Fry each type of chile separately in lard until softened and set aside.

Slice thinly lengthwise a few platanos machos and fry in lard.

Slice 3 bolillos

Quarter 6 tomatoes, 6 tomatillos, 2 small white onions sliced chopped garlic cloves to taste and saute in lard until soft but not browned and mash this mixture into a paste (NOTE: In Chiapas they would use only a couple of garlic cloves which they add to the recipe to aid in digestion since garlic is not widely used in the region. However, we are garlic lovers so we are taking liberties.)

Mash into a paste and add to it:
8 blanched almonds
1/4 C roasted peanuts
About 5 Chiapas style chocolate balls (OK, not too much and not too little in you are in places where Chiapas chocolate balls are unavailable) The balls are about 1inch to 1 1/2 in diameter.
Cinnamon
Thyme
Ground black pepper
1/2 C sesame seeds

Add caldo to the fried chiles and let them sit a little while to soften.
Grind the reserved chiles in a blender with some of the caldo put in the blended mixture in the large pan or olla. I was told it is important to keep the chilie separated from the rest of the ingredients until then.

Then do the same with the bolillos and reserved platanos machos and some more caldo and add to the chiles.

Add the paste of tomatoes and other ingredients to the mole pan and add 1 to 2 C sugar or more if you like and enough caldo de pollo to prevent the mole from becoming too thick.

Salt to taste and simmer this mole slowly for about 20 minutes being careful not to burn it.

Pour mole over reserved poached chicken.

I´ll be back with the Sopa de Pan recipe in a while.

(This post was edited by Hound Dog on Apr 13, 2010, 10:52 AM)

Hound Dog

Apr 13, 2010, 11:36 AM

Post #6 of 6 (7058 views)

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Re: [Hound Dog] Chiapanecan Mole

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Now, for the Spanish style Sopa de Pan that goes well as an accompaniment to the Chiapanecan style black mole described in the above posting:

Remember, this soup, if prepared correctly is more a thick bread pudding as opposed to a liquid soup.

SOPA DE PAN COLETO STYLE*
* Please note that garlic is not typically used in abundance in Chiapas and, we are told, is used primarily as an aid to digestion . In fact, our Coleto friends who made this Spanish style soup popular in San Cristóbal used no garlic at all in their soup. The garlic in the recipe below is our addition and may be omitted altogether. However, this is a soup with a Spanish heritage.

6-7 Hard Boiled Eggs
3-4 Stale Sliced Bolillos or Fresh Bolillos hardened and dried but not browned in the oven
Pinch of Saffron to taste
Green Beans cooked al dente (1 or 2 Cups)
4-5 cooked Carrots sliced
5 Small Boiled Potatoes
Several Boiled and Sliced Calabacitas (Zucchinis)
Approximately 1 C Blanched Almonds
1 C Raisins More or Less
3 to5 Tomatoes, 2-3 Sliced Onions (Yellow or White) and thinly sliced garlic to taste all sauted together in lard (or fruity Spanish extra virgin olive oil) until soft but not browned
2 Large Platanos machos (preferably green to moderately ripe) sauted in lard (or also substitute the olive oil)

Caldo de Pollo reserved from the above Chiapaneco Mole recipe to which one has added the saffron and some salt to taste reheating to blend

Layer in a large pan or clay pot:
Some Sauted tomato, Onion and Garlic Mixture
Some Calabacitas
Some Platanos Machos
Some Boiled Potatoes, Carrots, Sliced Hardboiled Eggs, Blanched Almonds, Raisins and the Sliced Bolillos (or French Bagettes)
Repeat the layering process in the same order until the pan or pot is more or less filled

Ladel the Saffron infused Caldo de Pollo over the layered mixture until the caldo is about 1/2 the volume of the layered ingredients. Remember that the goal here is to achieve the texture of a bread pudding.

Cover and slowly simmer this mixture on the stove top for about 20 minutes or so.

Serve in a separate bowl to accompany the Chiapanecan Mole and tortillas.

(This post was edited by Hound Dog on Apr 13, 2010, 2:59 PM)