Ancho and Chipotle Mole
Ancho (Ahn-cho) Chile (Capsicum Annum) means Wide Chile Pepper. This chile ranges from 3 – 4 on a heat scale of 1 to 10. An Ancho is the dried form of a Poblano Pepper and often is mislabeled as a Pasilla or Mulato Pepper. Anchos have sweet fruity flavor with hints of cherry, prune, and fig. Anchos, combined with the Pasilla and Guajillo, form the Holy Trinity of chiles used to prepare the traditional mole sauces. Scoville heat units are 1,000 to 3,000.
Ingredients:
2 large ancho chiles
2 dried chipotle chiles
1-1/2 cups boiling water
2 red bell peppers
2 whole cloves
1-1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 cinnamon stick, broken
3 Tbsp. sunflower seeds
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2-1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
salt
Instructions:
In a bowl, cover the anchos and chipotles with the boiling water. Let the chiles soak for 30 minutes, until softened. Drain the chiles, reserving the liquid. Discard the stems, cores and seeds and coarsely chop the chiles.
Preheat the broiler or light a gas flame. Char the peppers for 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until they become charred all over. Transfer the chiles to a medium bowl and cover with plastic. Let them steam for 5 minutes, then peel the peppers and discard the skins, stems and seeds. Coarsely chop the chiles.
In a small dry skillet, toast the cloves, cumin and cinnamon stick over moderately low heat until darkened and fragrant, about 1-1/2 minutes. Let the spices cool, then grind them into a powder using a spice grinder. Transfer the spices to a plate. Add the sunflower seeds to the skillet and toast, shaking the pan a few times, about 3 minutes. Let cool and transfer the seeds to the grinder and finely grind.
Heat the oil in a medium skillet and add the garlic. Cook over low heat until golden, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until glossy, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until it has melted.
In a blender, combine the chiles and their soaking liquid with the bell peppers, the ground spices, the ground sunflower seeds and the garlic mixture and blend until smooth. Scrape the mole into a large bowl and season with salt. Transfer the sauce to jars and refrigerate.
Make Ahead: The sauce can be refrigerated for 3 weeks.
Yields six 4 oz. jars.
Recipe from the December 2001 issue of Food and Wine Magazine.