Turkey
13 c. water
1 4 -lb. whole boneless turkey breast with skin, halved lengthwise
1 lg. white onion, peeled, quartered
1 head of garlic, outer skin removed, cut crosswise in half
1 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
Chiles
1 c. oil
8 dried mulato chiles, stemmed, seeds and membranes removed (1)
6 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed, seeds and membranes removed (2)
5 dried ancho chile, stemmed, seeds and membranes removed (3)
Nuts and Seeds
1 T. oil
1/2 c. whole almonds
1/4 c. pecans
1 T. unsalted roasted peanuts
1/4 c. shelled pepitas (4)
3 T. sesame seeds
Fruits
1/4 c. oil
1 lg. ripe dark-skinned plantain, peeled,; thickly sliced
1 lb. tomatillos, husked, rinsed, coarsel; y chopped
1 lb. plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2/3 c. raisins
Flavorings
1 lg. white onion, peeled, cut into 8 wedges
12 lg. garlic cloves, unpeeled
5 whole cloves
1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
5 whole allspice berries
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. aniseed
1 1 cinnamon stick (5)
1 tsp. dried mexican oregano
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. fine sea salt
Thickeners
3 T. oil
1 3 'x2'x1' bread slice from firm french roll
3 5 ' to 6' diameter corn tortillas, coar; sely chopped
6 oz. mexican chocolate, chopped (6)
1/2 c. chopped piloncillo (7)
2 c. (about) low-salt chicken broth (if necessary)
Mole PoblanoMole is very time-consuming to make, but you can begin up to three daysahead. The results are well worth the effort. In Mexico, this is served with rice or unfilled tamales. For turkey:Combine all ingredients in large pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, andsimmer until turkey is just cooked through, skimming foam,
about 35 minutes.Transfer turkey to bowl; cover and chill. Strain and reserve broth in pot.For chiles:Heat 1/2 C. oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches,fry all chiles until beginning to blister and change color, about 15 secondsper side (do not burn). Using tongs and shaking off excess oil, transferchiles to another large pot. Add 4 C. reserved turkey broth; bring to boil.Reduce heat; simmer uncovered until chiles are very soft, about 35 minutes.Strain liquid into 4-cup measuring cup; add enough reserved turkey broth tomeasure 4 C. Chop chiles.
Working in batches, puree chiles and 4 C. chilebroth in blender until smooth.Heat remaining 1/2 C. oil in same pot over medium heat until almostsmoking. Press chile puree through large mesh strainer into pot (mixturewill sputter and bubble vigorously). Stir until puree thickens enough toform path on bottom of pot when wooden spoon is drawn across,about 15minutes. Remove chile puree from heat.For nuts and seeds:Heat 1 T. oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add almondsand stir until color deepens, about 1 minute. Add pecans and peanuts; stir 1minute. Add pepitas; stir 30 seconds. Transfer to blender. Add sesame seedsto skillet; stir 1 minute. Transfer 2 T. sesame seeds to small bowl andreserve for garnish. Place remaining 1 T. sesame seeds in blender with nuts.Add 1/2 C. reserved turkey broth and blend until thick puree forms. Addnut-and-seed puree to pot with chile puree. Cook over very low heat,stirring often, while preparing fruits.For fruits:Heat 1/4 C. oil in same skillet over high heat. Add plantain and sauté untilgolden, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels. Addtomatillos and tomatoes to skillet; sauté until slightly softened, mashingwith fork. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until thickened, stirringoften, about 25
minutes. Add raisins and plantain; simmer 10 minutes,stirring often. Cool slightly.Working in batches, puree tomatillo mixture in blender with 2 C. reservedturkey broth. Strain mixture through sieve into chile-nut puree,
pressing onsolids to extract as much mixture as possible; discard solids in
sieve.Continue cooking puree over very low heat while preparing flavorings,stirring often.For flavorings:Cook onion and garlic cloves in dry heavy medium skillet over medium heatuntil beginning to brown and soften, turning often, about 15 minutes. Coolslightly. Coarsely chop onion; peel garlic. Place in blender.Stir cloves in same skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 20seconds. Transfer cloves to spice mill or coffee grinder; add peppercornsand next 7 ingredients. Grind finely. Add to blender. Add 1 C. reservedturkey broth; blend until smooth. Stir spice mixture into chile-nut puree.Simmer mole over very low heat 30 minutes to blend flavors while preparingthickeners, stirring often (mole will bubble thickly).For thickeners:Heat 1 1/2 T. oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add bread slice;fry until golden, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer to blender. Add 11/2 T. oil and tortillas to skillet; sauté 2 minutes. Transfer to blenderwith bread. Add 2 C. reserved turkey broth; blend until smooth. Add to mole;simmer 10 minutes.Add chocolate and piloncillo to mole; simmer over low heat 20 minutes,stirring often, scraping bottom of pot and adding more turkey broth (orchicken broth if necessary) by 1/2 cupfuls if mole is too thick (up to 2 C.more broth may be needed). Season with salt. Continue simmering over lowheat until streaks of oil form on mole surface, about 10 minutes longer.(Can be made 3 days ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, thencover and keep
refrigerated. Rewarm over low heat, stirring and adding morebroth if desired, before continuing.)Cut turkey into 1/3' thick slices. Add to hot mole; simmer until turkey isheated through, about 10 minutes. Arrange turkey slices on platter. Spoonmole over; sprinkle with sesame seeds.Notes (1) mulato chile [moo-LAH-toh]This long (4- to 5-inch) dark brown chile is a type of dried POBLANO. It hasa light fruity nuance and a much more pronounced smoky character than itsrelative, the ANCHO. Themulato is
essential for making MOLE (2) pasilla chile [pah-SEE-yah]In its fresh form this CHILE is called a CHILACA. It's generally 6 to 8inches long and 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter. The rich-flavored, medium-hotpasilla is a blackish-brown color,which is why it's also called chile negro. This chile is sold whole, and powdered. It's particularly good for use insauces. (3) ancho chile [AHN-choh]This broad, dried CHILE is 3 to 4 inches long and a deep reddish brown; itranges in flavor from mild to pungent. The rich, slightly fruit-flavoredancho is the sweetest of the dried chiles. In its fresh, green state, theancho is referred to as a poblano chile. (4) pepitas [puh-PEE-tahs]These edible pumpkin seeds are a popular ingredient in Mexican cooking.With their white hull removed, they are a medium-dark green and have adeliciously delicate flavor, which is even better when the seeds are roastedand salted. Pepitas are sold salted, roasted and raw, and with or withouthulls. They're available in health-food stores, Mexican markets and manysupermarkets. (5) Mexican cinnamon sticks with a delicate, floral flavor. (6) Mexican chocolate Flavored with cinnamon, almonds and vanilla, this sweet chocolate isavailable in Mexican markets and some supermarkets. Mexican chocolate has amuch grainier texture than other chocolates. It's used in the preparation ofa Mexican hot chocolate drink and certain Mexican specialties such as molepoblano sauce usually served with fowl. One ounce
semisweet chocolate, 1/2teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1 drop almond extract can be substituted for 1ounce Mexican chocolate. (7) Mexican raw sugar shaped into hard cones. Smaller chunks are sometimeslabeled panocha. If neither is available, substitute an equal weight ofpacked dark brown sugar
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