According to El Naranjo’s website, www.elnaranjo.com.mx, “The name is derived from the fact that this light sauce spills easy and stains tablecloths. It has a sweet flavor because of the pineapple and plantains.”

Ingredients

• 5 ancho chiles

• ½ medium onion

• 3 medium garlic cloves, unpeeled

• 3 medium tomatoes

• 5 almonds, blanched

• 4 black peppercorns

• 4 cloves

• ½ teaspoon oregano

• ½ teaspoon thyme

• 1 medium cinnamon stick

• Vegetable oil

• Stock or water, as needed

• 3 sprigs parsley

• 8 pieces chicken

• 1 quart water

• 1 medium onion

• 3 medium garlic cloves

• Salt

• 1 tablespoon salt

• 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil

• 4 tablespoons butter

• 1 slice fresh pineapple, chunked

• 2 ripe plantains, sliced

Instructions

Clean the chiles with a damp cloth, cut them open, remove the stems and seeds, and spread them flat in a large dry frying pan. Roast them until they shrivel and slightly turn color, then soak them in water for up to 20 minutes.

In a smaller pan, dry-roast the onion, unpeeled garlic, and tomatoes until charred. Remove the garlic cloves and peel them.

In another pan add 1 tablespoon oil and fry the almonds, peppercorns, cloves, oregano, and thyme. Toast the cinnamon stick to slightly release the flavor.

Transfer the chiles with enough water to a blender, process, and pass through a sieve. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan, add the chile mixture, and let it fry. Blend the rest of the roasted and fried ingredients. Pass through a sieve and add to the chile paste.

Simmer the mole, adding stock or water to achieve correct consistency (the mole should coat the back of a spoon). Check the seasoning and add the parsley sprigs.

Clean the chicken pieces and place them in a small stockpot with water, onion, garlic and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and poach the chicken until tender, about 30 minutes.

Heat the oil and butter in a skillet, and sauté the sliced plantains until golden in color. Set aside. In the same skillet, repeat the procedure with the pineapple slices, adding more butter and oil if needed. Sauté until golden brown. Keep the fruits warm.

Heat the mole along with the chicken pieces and the parsley for 15 minutes. Decorate with the fruit, and serve with rice and hot tortillas.

There are more than 60 varieties of chiles that are grown only in the state of Oaxaca and nowhere else in Mexico. We have suggested substitutions here to reflect varieties more commonly available north of the border. You can use oil instead of lard, but the flavor will change dramatically.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, cut into eight serving pieces

• 6 cups chicken stock

• 5 chilhuacle negro chiles, stems and seeds removed (save the seeds) or substitute ancho chiles

• 5 guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed (save the seeds) or substitute dried red New Mexican chiles

• 4 pasilla chiles, stems and seeds removed (save the seeds)

• 4 mulatto chiles, stems and seeds removed (save the seeds), or substitute ancho chiles

• 2 chipotle chiles, stems and seeds removed (save the seeds)

• 1 medium white onion, quartered

• 6 cloves garlic

• 2 tablespoons whole almonds

• 2 tablespoons shelled and skinned peanuts

• 2 to 4 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil

• 2 teaspoons raisins

• 1 slice of bread (Challah or egg type is best)

• 1 small ripe plantain, sliced or substitute a banana

• ½ cup sesame seeds

• 2 pecan halves

• 1-inch cinnamon stick, Mexican preferred

• 2 whole peppercorns

• 2 whole cloves

• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped

• 5 fresh tomatillos, chopped

• ½ teaspoon dried oregano

• ½ teaspoon dried thyme

• 1 avocado leaf, omit if not available or substitute bay leaf

• 1 bar or to taste Mexican chocolate, Ibarra preferred

• Salt to taste

• Plenty of fresh tortillas

Instructions

In a pot, simmer the chicken in the stock until tender, about ½ hour. Remove the chicken and keep warm and reserve the stock.

In a large frying pan or comal, toast the chiles, turning once until darkened, but not burned or, as some Oaxaquenas prefer, fry the chiles in lard. Place the chiles in a bowl and cover with hot water to soak for ½ hour to soften. Remove the chiles and place in a blender or food processor and puree, adding a little chile water if necessary, to form a paste.

In the same pan, roast the onions and garlic cloves until slightly browned, remove. Then toast the almonds and peanuts slightly, remove. Finally, toast the chile seeds, taking care to make them dark but not burned.

Heat 2 tablespoons of lard in the skillet and fry the raisins until plumped, remove and drain on paper towels. Next fry the bread until browned, remove and drain. Repeat with the plantains. Add more lard if necessary, lower the heat and fry the sesame seeds slowly, stirring often. When they are slightly browned, add the pecans and brown, remove and drain.

Toast the cinnamon, peppercorns, and cloves lightly in a dry pan. Cool and grind in a mocajete or spice grinder.

In a food processor or blender, puree the nuts, bread, sesame seeds, and pecans in small batches, remove. Add the onions, garlic, plantains and puree, remove. Finally, add and puree the tomatoes and tomatillos.

In a large cazuela or heavy pot heat the remaining lard and fry the chile paste, stirring constantly so it will not burn. When it is “dry,” add the tomato puree and fry until the liquid has evaporated. Add the ground spices, the nut-bread mixture, the pureed onion mixture, and the oregano and thyme.

Heat, stirring constantly, to a simmer and add the chocolate to the mole. Toast the avocado leaf for a second over the open flame and add. Slowly add some of the reserved chicken stock to the mole until the mixture is just thick enough to lightly coat a spoon and salt to taste. Continue to simmer for 5 minutes, return the chicken to the mole and heat through.

Serve with plenty of sauce and hot tortillas.

This is the legendary seventh mole from Oaxaca.

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds beef bones with meat; meat cut off the bones into 1-inch cubes

• 2 quarts water

• 1 onion, chopped

• 8 cloves garlic

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 chile de árbol or substitute large piquin or santaka chile

• 5 whole peppercorns

• 2 carrots, chopped

• 2 stalks celery, chopped

• 1 whole allspice berry

• 1 whole clove

• ½ pound pork butt, cut in 1-inch cubes

• 5 chilhuacle negro chiles, stems and seeds removed, save the seeds, or substitute anchos

• 6 guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed, save the seeds, or substitute dried red New Mexican chiles

• 1 corn tortilla, torn into strips

• 1 sprig fresh oregano

• 1 sprig fresh thyme

• 2 allspice berries

• 1 whole clove

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 2-inch stick cinnamon, Mexican preferred

• 4 large tomatoes, quartered

• 3 fresh tomatillos, halved

• 1 clove garlic

• 1 small onion, roasted

• 2 chayotes or substitute zucchini, sliced thin

• ½ pound green beans, chopped

• 5 small potatoes, peeled and quartered

• 3 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil

• 2 to 3 avocado leaves, or substitute bay leaves

• Salt to taste

• Garnishes: sliced onion and lime slices

Instructions

In a large stock pot, cover the beef bones with cold water, bring to a boil and boil for 20 minutes skimming off any foam that forms. Lower the heat and add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, chile de árbol, peppercorns, carrots, celery stalks, cloves, allspice, clove and cook for 5 minutes. Add the beef and pork cubes, lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Strain the stock, cool in the refrigerator and skim off any fat that rises to the top.

In a large frying pan or comal, toast the chiles, turning once until darkened, but not burned. Place the chiles in a bowl and cover with hot water to soak for ½ hour to soften.

Toast the tortilla strips on the comal until they blacken, remove. Toast the saved chile seeds on the comal and heat until the seeds are blackened. Remove the seeds and place in water to soak. Change the water after 5 minutes, and soak again for another 5 minutes. Drain.

Drain the chiles and place in a blender or food processor along with the tortillas, blackened seeds, oregano, thyme, allspice, clove, cumin, cinnamon, and a little water and puree to a paste.

Roast the tomatoes and tomatillos on the comal until soft, remove. Then roast the onion and garlic. Place them in the blender and puree.

Bring 3 cups of the reserved stock to a boil and the chayote, beans, and potatoes. Reduce the heat, and simmer until the potato is easily pierced with a fork. Drain and reserve the vegetables.

Heat the lard or oil in a heavy pot or cazuela and fry the chile puree. Add the tomato mixture and fry for a couple of minutes. Stir in just enough of the beef stock to thin the mixture and salt to taste. Toast the avocado leaves and add.

Add the vegetables to the mole and heat through.

Garnish the mole with the onion and a lime slice and serve.