Mole Poblano de Pollo

By Tamipri

Ingredients

• 3 Tb. olive oil
• 4 bone-in chicken breast halves
• 1 yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 jalapeno, finely chopped
• 1/4 c. blanched almonds, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 Tb. chili powder
• 1 tsp. gingerroot
• 1/2 tsp. minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1/4 tsp. aniseed
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 1 c. chicken broth, plus more as needed
• 3 Tb. almond butter
• 2 oz. Mexican chocolate, chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tb. toasted sesame seeds

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken until browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.

Add the onion to the hot pan and brown it slightly, 10-12 minutes.

Add the bell pepper, jalapeno, almonds, and garlic to the pan and saute until aromatic, 3-4 minutes.

Add the chili powder, ginger, thyme, aniseed, and cinnamon and saute briefly until aromatic, about 30 seconds, being careful not to burn the mixture. Add the tomatoes.

Pour in 1 cup of the broth and stir to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the pan bottom. Whisk in the almond butter, return the chicken to the pan, and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and transfer to the oven. Braise the chicken until tender, about 1 hour. Add a little more broth as needed throughout the cooking time to keep the level constant.

Remove the chicken from the pot and cover to keep warm. Add the chocolate to the sauce, stirring until melted. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Return the chicken to the sauce and turn to coat evenly. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat to heat the chicken through, then serve at once. Garnish with the sesame seeds.