Mole Negro is a traditional Mexican recipe for a classic black mole sauce made with smoked black chillies, prunes, peanut butter and dark chocolate in a spiced and herbed stock base. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Mexican version of: Mole Negro.
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This is a classic and authentic dark Mole Sauce from Mexico — a deep, smoky, slightly spicy sauce made with dried black chilies, warming spices and a hint of dark chocolate.
Ingredients:
6 dried chilies (2 varieties, medium heat-dark in colour eg ancho/pasilla/mulato)
1l stock (chicken, vegetable or light mushroom)
175g pitted prunes
1 large onion, diced
6–10 garlic cloves, smashed
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander seeds
1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly-grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
optional: 1-2 tinned chipotle peppers, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce ( the ‘juice’ from the tinned chipotles) [or use home-made chipotle chillies in adobo sauce]
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
4 tbsp peanut butter
55g dark chocolate
other additions: agave syrup or maple, sesame seeds for garnish
Method:
Tear the dried chillies apart (or cut with scissors) then remove and discard the seeds and stems. Place a dry frying pan over medium heat. Add the dried chilli pieces and toast until they begin to release their oils (they will take on a slight sheen), 3-4 minutes.
Place them in a medium saucepan, and add the stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover the pan and simmer covered for 10-15 minutes.
Add the prunes, stir, re-cover the pan, then simmer on low for 10 more minutes, then take off the heat and set aside to cool, saving the liquid.
At the same time, fry the onions and garlic in 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat, stirring often until deeply golden brown (about 10 minutes). Take your time here and let them get properly dark — this will add great flavour. Add all the spices and stir for 1-2 more minutes, toasting the spices.
Transfer the cooked onion-spice mixture into a blender along with the chillies and prunes and all their cooking liquid along with the chipotles and the adobo sauce. Feel free to add a little more stock to get the blender going. Blend until the mixture is very smooth, scraping down the sides. If it feels very thick, loosen with more stock. It should be like the consistency of a thick smoothie. Once silky smooth, pour this back into the saucepan and set over low heat, covering the pan with a lid.
When the sauce is warm, stir in the salt, peanut butter and chocolate. Once the chocolate is fully melted and incorporated, taste the mole and adjust the levels of salt, heat (with chipotle sauce or powder) and the level of chocolate.
If you want a thinner sauce ( like for enchiladas) just loosen it with a little more stock or water to desired consistency.
