Recipes

Guerrero-Style Green Mole

  • Serves

    makes About 4 1/2 Cups

SAVEUR

This mole traditionally accompanies Unfilled Tamales.

Ingredients

  • 1 12 cups shelled raw green pumpkin seeds
  • 14 tsp. whole black peppercorns
  • 8 whole cloves
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 4 medium tomatillos, husked, washed, and coarsely chopped
  • 12 small white onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1 fresh serrano chile, stemmed and chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh marjoram leaves
  • 3 small fresh bay leaves
  • 2 bunches manteca (lard)
  • Salt

Instructions

Step 1

Toast pumpkin seeds in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until seeds just begin to color and puff slightly. (Seeds become bitter if browned too much.) Set aside to cool.

Step 2

Grind peppercorns and cloves in a blender. Add pumpkin seeds, 2 cups of the chicken stock, tomatillos, onions, chiles, garlic, thyme, marjoram, and bay leaves and blend to a very smooth puree.

Step 3

Heat lard in a medium cazuela or deep saucepan over medium-high heat. Add mole and cook, stirring constantly (to keep mole from splattering), until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 2 cups stock, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring often, until sauce thickens and begins to look curdled, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt.

Step 4

Transfer sauce to blender and blend until smooth and silky. Return to pan and keep warm over very low heat. (If mole separates, whisk in 1 rounded tbsp. fresh masa or masa harina. Bring mole to a simmer, whisking, then reduce heat and keep warm.) Serve with tamales nejos (see recipe), if you like.

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