Chocolate chilli chicken

This is my version of mole poblano chicken or chocolate chilli chicken.

I prefer to use chicken legs because of the extra flavour you get when meat is cooked on the bone.

I have been messing around with the ingredients for the mole so it's not totally authentic. Don't be afraid to experiment with the ingredients - the only thing I would not use is sweet milk chocolate!

I did actually have tomatillos that I grew in a Grow-bag with my tomatoes. They were pretty meagre but it's nice to put them to a good use. Remove the outer covering (husks) before use.

This was a total success. Next time I would make double the sauce and freeze the other half as I think the mole would be good on steak too!

For the boiled chicken

Ingredients

Printable 🖨 shopping 🛒 list & 👩‍🍳 method for this recipe

• 4 chicken legs, skin removed
• 1 onion, peeled and halved
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

for the mole poblano

• 2 chipotle chillies, (deseeded if you don't want it too hot)
• 1 dried Chile de árbol.

(Don't be afraid to experiment with whatever other chillies you can get hold of)

• ½ a large onion, chopped
• ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2 clove buds
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano or marjoram
• A very small piece of cinnamon stick
• ½ teaspoon of fennel seeds
• ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons ground almonds
• 2 tablespoons raisins
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs
• 2 tortillas, torn into small pieces
• 5 tomatillos or tomatoes such as sungold
• 25 g (1 oz) Green & Blacks Organic Chocolate, unsweetened (I added a bit more at the end - taste and see first!)
• 1.5 cups chicken stock

To garnish

• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, lightly toasted
• 1 orange, quartered

• 

  Mole poblano, simmering

• 

  The mole ingredients

Method

Mole poblano

1. Don't be too fussy with the chopping as it's all going in the blender in the end.
2. Blitz all of the dry spices except for the sesame seeds to a powder in a coffee grinder or blender spice attachment
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the blender and blitz to a smooth sauce
4. Tip the dried spice mix into the sauce and give it a final blitz.
5. Pour the sauce into a pan, bring to a simmer and continue to simmer for 30 minutes stirring now and again

Cooking the chicken legs

1. Place the chicken legs in a pan with the onion halves and cover with boiling water, seasoning with salt and pepper
2. Return to the boil, then cover and simmer for 25 minutes

Combining the two

1. Remove the chicken legs and drain
2. Add the chicken to the mole (sauce) and heat for a further 10 minutes
3. Meanwhile, toast 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds in a small pan
4. Transfer the mole poblano and chicken to a serving dish and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds
5. Enjoy Mexico's national dish!

Serving suggestions

Serve with plain boiled rice, guacamole and sour cream or creme fraiche and maybe a few tortillas and a green salad.

Chef's note

I could not get Mexican chocolate so used Green & Blacks organic chocolate, which is bitter and not too sweet. After all, the dish has raisins or sultanas which have a little sugar anyway.

Recipe too complicated?

It's not really, but if you really can't be doing with all these ingredients, I have seen bottles of mole sauce in some of the larger supermarkets.

Try it out with the pre-made sauce, then come back and make the real thing!

See also

• Get chicken pieces the economical way, joint the chicken yourself
• More than 15 interesting chili con carne recipes

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