Mole Poblano

How to make it

1. Cover the chicken with the water and salt in a large pot, bring to a gentle boil, then lower to a simmer and cook until the meat is tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. Lift out the chicken, let it rest for a few minutes, then keep the broth hot.
2. Remove the stems and seeds from the ancho, mulato, and pasilla chiles. Toast them briefly in a dry pan until fragrant and flexible, then soak them in a little hot broth until softened.
3. Sweat the onion in the oil over medium heat until translucent and soft, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute without letting it brown. Add the tomatoes and cook until they collapse and turn pulpy.
4. Toast the almonds and sesame seeds in a dry pan until golden and nutty. In the same pan, toast the bread or tortillas until deeply browned but not burnt.
5. Blend the softened chiles, onion, garlic, tomatoes, almonds, raisins, sesame seeds, toasted bread or tortillas, cinnamon, cloves, and about 5 dl of the hot broth into a thick, smooth paste.
6. Pour the paste into a pot and simmer it over low heat, stirring often, then add the remaining broth little by little until the mole is velvety and dark. Stir in the dark chocolate until melted and glossy.
7. Simmer the sauce for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring so it does not catch on the bottom, until it coats the spoon in a thick, deep-brown layer. Taste and adjust with a little more salt if needed.
8. Serve the chicken on a wide shallow plate and spoon the mole over it so the meat is generously coated, with the sauce gathered thickly around the pieces rather than fully covering the plate.