Mole Chicken Enchiladas

I made this dinner a few weekends ago. My sister had gone to California earlier in the month and fell in love with the mole sauce at some restaurant and insisted that I try to make mole. I didn't have any context because I didn't actually get to try that specific sauce, but I had my own memories of mole and that's what I used to make this dish.

Making mole is a little bit labor intensive and the list of ingredients is so long, but I think it was worth the effort. Plus, the enchiladas themselves only require about a third of the sauce yield so you have enough for two more dishes. And, this isn't the most authentic recipe; after all, I'm not Mexican. However, I made do with the ingredients I had available. Also, because I'm allergic to peanuts, I used cashews instead, which I think still lend a creamy, nutty flavor; they get the job done.

Ingredients:
mole sauce
10 guajillo chili peppers
2 cups chicken stock
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon coriander seeds
⅛ teaspoon peppercorns
½" piece cinnamon stick
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
3 tablespoons cashews
2 tablespoons bacon fat
½ onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 campari tomatoes, chopped
1 chipotle pepper in adobo
2 tablespoons adobo sauce
2 tablespoons golden raisins
1 teaspoon salt
1½ ounces 100% cacao chocolate, chopped
¼ cup crushed tomatoes
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar

enchiladas
1 lb. chicken thighs
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
10 to 12 corn tortillas
2 cups mole
¼ onion, diced
1 serrano pepper, chopped
4 oz. cotija cheese, crumbled
4 oz. chopped green chiles
1 scallion, chopped

Start by seeding and stemming the peppers and add them to a saucepan. Pour over the chicken stock and pop onto the hob, bring to a boil, remove from the heat, and steep for 10 minutes to reconstitute the peppers.

While the peppers are rehydrating, toast the cumin, coriander, black pepper, and cinnamon stick over low until you can smell them. Then, toss in the sesame seeds and lightly toast.

Pour the spices into a mortar and crush with a pestle until finely ground. And then toss in cashews and crush lightly.

Grab a pot or cast iron skillet and melt in some bacon fat over medium heat. Add in the onions and garlic and sweat until translucent.

Add in the spice mixture and stir to coat. Cook for about three minutes.

Add the tomatoes and raisins and cook until the tomatoes completely break down.

Add in the chipotle pepper in adobo and salt and stir to combine.

Add in the guajillo chili peppers and stock and simmer for ten minutes.

Sprinkle in the chocolate and stir so it melts into the sauce.

Remove the sauce from the heat and cool slightly before using an immersion blender to puree until smooth. Alternatively, a blender can be used. Simmer the sauce for thirty minutes.

Add in thyme, oregano, cilantro, red wine vinegar, and sugar and simmer the sauce for another hour. Adjust the seasoning as necessary by adding more sugar and/or vinegar and/or salt.

I forgot to take a photo of the finished sauce in the pan, but it should be a rich, dark burgundy when it's done.

To make the chicken enchiladas, toss a bunch of chicken thighs and season generously with salt and pepper and roast at 350F for 25 minutes or until the chicken is lightly golden and cooked through.

When the chicken is done, let it cool slightly and then use two forks to shred into bite-sized pieces.

If you want to be extra as hell, make homemade tortillas. But instead of toasting in a dry pan, lightly fry the tortillas. If you're using store bought tortillas, fry them in oil as well.

At my sister's suggestion, I built this enchilada more like a lasagna. It was easier and prettier than rolling them individually anyway.

To build the enchiladas, start with mole on the bottom, top with tortillas, add more mole, shredded chicken, cotija cheese crumbled all over, green chiles, raw onion, and spicy chili peppers. Add another layer of tortillas and repeat.

Bake the enchiladas in a 350F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until warmed through and serve.

We enjoyed our enchiladas with fresh corn styled like Mexican street corn (with butter, lime, cotija cheese, scallions, and ancho chili powder), pico de gallo, grilled peppers and onions, and sliced avocado. The enchiladas are delicious. The mole is so complex because it's nutty and sweet and savory and sharp and spicy and the depth of flavor from the slow simmer is a great way to elevate the enchiladas. The firm texture of the corn tortillas with the tender chicken, bright notes from the green chiles, a bit of bite from the onion, the salty cotija cheese; it's a v. balanced dish.

There isn't much motivation to slave over a stove or turn on your oven in the summer, but autumn is just a few weeks away and this dish is calling your name!

Here are the recipe pages: