Turquía Mole Poblano (Turkey with Poblano Chocolate Mole)
Turquía Mole Poblano (Turkey with Poblano Chocolate Mole) is a traditional Mexican recipe for a classic stew of turkey in a rich vegetable and fruit sauce flavoured with spices, chillies and chocolate. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Mexican version of: Turkey with Poblano Chocolate Mole (Turquía Mole Poblano).
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Moles of different kinds are certainly have the claim to represent the national dishes of Mexico. According to legend, this particular recipe was invented by nuns in honour of a visiting bishop. They assembled the dish from scraps and spices they had in their bare kitchen and a turkey that was in the yard. Traditionally the sauce is supposed to be made from 30 separate ingredients. But these days it's typically simplified somewhat, as in the recipe presented here.
This is also an excellent way of re-dressing leftover Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey to give it a whole different flavour
Ingredients:
For the Turkey:
1 oven-ready turkey (about 4.5kg) cut into serving pieces
125g flour seasoned to taste with salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper
100g lard (or butter)
1 tsp sea salt
2 bouquets garni
For the Mole Sauce:
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
75g sultanas or seedless raisins
125g ground almonds
3 tomatoes, blanched, peeled, de-seeded and chopped
4 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
2 tortillas, crumbled
1/2 tsp aniseeds, crushed
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves, ground
1/2 tsp coriander seeds, ground
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
3 small, hot, red chillies, crumbled (traditionally poblanos would be used)
1 jalapeño chilli, chopped
600ml chicken or turkey stock (best to make turkey stock from giblets and trimmings)
50g dark chocolate, grated
Method:
Scatter the flour on a flat plate and use to liberally coat the turkey pieces then shake off the excess. Melt half the lard (or butter) in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and when hot add the turkey pieces and fry until deeply, and evenly, browned. Add just enough water to cover the pieces then season with the salt and add the bouquets garni. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce to a low simmer, cover the pan and cook gently for about 90 minutes, or until the turkey pieces are tender and cooked through. Take off the heat, drain the meat and set aside to keep warm.
In the meantime, prepare the sauce. Melt the remaining lard or butter in a large saucepan or flame-proof casserole. Add the onion and garlic and fry for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Stir in the sultanas (or raisins) along with the almonds, tomatoes, half the sesame seeds, crumbled tortillas, spices and chillies. Season to taste and cook for 8 minutes before adding half the stock. Bring the mixture to a boil then immediately take off the heat.
Allow to cool slightly, add the remaining stock then process in a blender until smooth (you may need to do this in batches). Return the purée to the pan then add the chocolate and bring to a simmer. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate has melted and the sauce is smooth and thick.
To serve, arrange the turkey pieces on a serving plate and pour over a little of the sauce. Use the remaining sesame seeds as a garnish then pour the remaining mole into a warmed sauce boat. Serve immediately to accompany the turkey pieces.
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