Okay, Chouxy, You ASKED FOR IT!!! The word is mo-lay, from teh Aztec word for sauce, 'molli. Maybe not quite 35, but close!
4 oz. dried ancho chiles
4 oz. dried guajillo chiles
4 oz. dried chile mulato
2 oz. dried chile chipotle
2 stale corn tortilla
1/3 cup pecans
1/4 cup blanched almonds
1/4 cup pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
4 unpeeled garlic cloves
2 medium unpeeled onions
1 large ripe tomato
4 oz. tomatillos, with husks
2/3 cup sesame seeds
7 T. lard (or vegetable shortening)
1 6-inch piece of canela (cassia - or Ceylon cinnamon)
2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. dry Mexican oregano
1 tsp. dry epazote or dried tarragon
6 whole cloves
10 allspice berries
1/4 tsp. grated fresh nutmeg
One 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, minced
1 cup dark raisins
2-4 cups chicken stock
1 cup orange juice
1T sherry vinegar
2 tsp. espresso powder
4 oz. piece of Mexican chocolate
Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles - USE GLOVES if you're not used to handling chiles!!!! Toast the chiles on a dry skillet or flat griddle til they start to release their aroma. Place the toasted chiles in a food process, and process til finely ground. Set aside.
Roast the garlic, tomato, onion, and tomatillo on a dry skillet or griddle over medium-high heat, till outsides are black and charred; note, start the longer cooking veg earlier, onion, garlic; tomatoes and tomatillos don't take as much time. Remove and place in separate bowls til cool enough to handle, then peel the husks/skins; save all juices from tomatoes and tomatillos.
Heat the sesame seeds in a small dry skillet til aromatic, remove and set aside to cool. Heat the raisins til just puffy, and remove and set aside.
Heat 1T lard/shortening in a skillet, and add all the spices; fry til fragrant, stirring constantly. Remove from skillet and set aside.
Place the nuts, sesame seed, raisins and chiles in a blender, and blend to a smooth paste. Use a little of the chicken stock if needed. Remove from blender. Next, place the fried spices, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and tomatillos in the blender and puree. Combine the two mixtures in a large bowl.
In a large dutch oven, heat the lard/shortening over medium high heat; add all the pureed mixtures, and lower heat to medium low; cover and cook, stirring frequently. Add the rest of the liquid ingredients (except the chicken stock), the chocolate, and the corn tortillas which have been ripped up. If the mixture is very thick, add some chicken stock; but it should be a thick mixture. The mole can be frozen in batches if you like, to be thinned out and used as a sauce.
To all of you purists out there, please remember that this recipe has been adapted from a few sources! Zarela Martinez, Patricia Trilling, Rick Bayless, and Don Pintabona all contributed!
A great source for mexican ingredients is
www.thecmccompany.com
This is the 'king' of the mole sauces; there are others which are much simpler!
Toast the nuts on a baking sheet in the oven til golden brown.