Chicken with Mole Verde from Puebla

Name: Chicken with Mole Verde from Puebla
Yield: makes 5 quarts of mole verde, and 12 tacos
Ingredients: 15 poblano chiles, oil-roasted, peeled, cored, and seeded (page 154); 5 serrano chiles, oil-roasted, peeled, cored, and seeded (page 154); 5 jalapeño chiles, oil-roasted, peeled, cored, and seeded (page 154); 2 pounds tomatillos, husked and rinsed; 3 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 white onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice; 4 cups chicken stock; 8 cloves garlic, dry-roasted (page 158); 2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon sugar; 1/2 teaspoon coriander seed, toasted and ground (page 164); 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce leaves; 3 fresh hoja santa leaves, stemmed, deveined, and chopped (page 159) or 1/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon leaves; Leaves from 1 bunch fresh cilantro; 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; 1 cup pumpkin seeds, lightly toasted and ground (page 164); 8 cups chicken stock; 1 head garlic, halved; 1/2 tablespoon coriander seed, toasted and ground (page 164); 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 bay leaf; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley; 1 white onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice; 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts; 12 (5 1/2-inch) soft yellow corn tortillas (page 13), for serving

January 26, 2012

The town of Puebla, a serene and peaceful oasis about one hour south from the congestion and commotion of Mexico City, is known for its charming inns that serve a rich array of traditional dishes. The most famous mole (the word is from a pre-Columbian language of Mexico and means a sauce that is blended with more than one chile or ingredient) originated in the kitchen of a large, wealthy Puebla convent with chocolate as its most acclaimed ingredient. But there are six other moles from the region. This filling, the green mole that uses all fresh herbs and fresh green chiles, is one of the simpler ones and the one that I usually eat for breakfast at the market—one huge bowl of chicken mole verde with fresh warm corn tortillas. Admittedly, it is a little time-consuming, but your effort will be rewarded with enough mole sauce to use for these tacos and many others. Leftover mole will keep in the refrigerator for at least a week, or you can freeze it for up to 3 months. This sauce makes a tasty complement to chicken, turkey, fish, and pork.

Recipe notes

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