Mole Poblano: Puebla's Red-Brown Mole

Description

Mole poblano — the most internationally recognised Mexican mole, darker and richer than mole rojo, using a specific combination of mulato, ancho, pasilla, and chipotle chillies plus chocolate — differs from Oaxacan mole negro (MX-02) in chilli selection, technique variations, and the dominant role of Mexican chocolate. Mole poblano is associated with turkey (guajolote) — historically the only turkey-raising culture in the world was Mesoamerica.

Key Principles

- **The chilli combination:** Mulato (tobacco-chocolate notes), ancho (dark fruit notes), pasilla (raisin notes), chipotle (smoke notes) — each provides a specific dimension that the others cannot. [VERIFY] Arronte's specific chilli combination.

- **Sesame seeds:** Toasted and added in larger quantities than mole negro — they provide body and a specific nutty note.

- **The plantain:** Fried plantain (ripe) added to the mole — the natural sugar caramelises during frying and provides sweetness that balances the chillies' bitterness.

- **The turkey:** Mole poblano is traditionally served over turkey pieces — the turkey's gamey, dense flavour is the only protein with sufficient character to stand up to the mole's complexity.

- **The chocolate:** Mexican table chocolate (Ibarra or similar) — sweeter and cinnamoned. Not European dark chocolate, which is unsweetened and without cinnamon.

Source

Mexico: The Cookbook