[Back to El Sol Home]

Turkey Mole

[pavo] Yes, it's traditional to serve turkey in Mexico, too, for a holiday feast. However the dinner takes place on Christmas Eve and the bird is served in mole, not stuffed and roasted.

Mole might seem to be a daunting dish to attempt because of all the ingredients required. But they are all readily available here and with everything on hand, it's really pretty simple.

PREPARING THE TURKEY:

1 turkey 4 - 6 kilos
4 litres of water
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 onion
1 tsp, salt
Herbs de olor

Cut the turkey, obviously defeathered and cleaned, into pieces and cook in boiling water with the other ingredients for about an hour or until the meat is tender.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE MOLE

[turkey mole] 250 g of chiles ancho
320 g of chile mulato
100 g of chile pasilla
1/2 cup of oil
2 large tomatoes
2 dried chipotles
10 garlic cloves
1/2 onion chopped
150 g peeled almonds
150 g peanuts
6 g of pepper
1/2 tsp. anís
1 stick of cinamon
3 cloves
1/2 cup raisins
90 g bitter chocolate
1 Tsp. sugar
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 1/2 burned tortillas
Salt & pepper

PREPARING THE MOLE

  1. Remove the stem, remove the seeds and veins from ancho, mulato and pasilla chiles. Fry them together for 3 or 4 minutes, taking care not to burn them, Take them out of the pan, boil them for 30 minutes. The tomatoes and chipotle should be grilled on a comal (clay hot plate).

  2. Fry the chopped onion and garlic in the pan used for the chiles. Add the almonds saute for 2 more minutes. Add peanuts, peppers, anís, cloves, cinnamon and saute a little longer.

  3. Get the tomatoes and chipotle from the grill and let them soak for a while in water, with the seeds, almonds, peanuts, raisins, grilled chipotles, burnt tortillas. Skin and seed the tomatoes and blend in the soaking liquid.

  4. Heat half the oil in a pan, add blended paste , then the chocolate and sugar stirring continuously for 20 minutes, slowly adding the turkey broth, being careful not to let the mixture get too thick.

  5. Season with salt and pepper and continue stirring about 20 minutes.

  6. Toast the sesame seeds, which will be used as garnish on the finished dish,

  7. To serve: Place the turkey pieces on a platter and bathe in the piping hot mole sauce. Add the sesame seeds, and serve with rice and refried beans. Enjoy!

[to page top]