Puebla-Style Mole Sauce (Mole Poblano)

This deep and sophisticated Mexican sauce has roots in Aztec civilisation, where it was enjoyed during special celebrations and rituals. Today, we enjoy it on taco night.

There are many styles and interpretations of ‘mole’ sauce in Mexico. There are over 70 distinct styles of mole recorded that vary be region and ethnic origin. Furthermore, many Mexican families have different methods of preparing this sauce. Many legends purport that mole takes weeks to make and can require over 90 ingredients. However, a lot of modern preparations of mole require far fewer ingredients than that and can be made on a weeknight. The Puebla style of mole is one of the most well-known styles of mole outside of Mexico, and has a signature mahogany colour which comes courtesy of specialty Mexican dried chillies and - oh yes - chocolate! Don’t be put off by the idea of adding chocolate - it’s treated like a spice here, much how the Aztecs framed it too. Though this mole can be made quickly in theory, I recommend not rushing it. Let it sit and mature in the fridge for a few days before using it. This recipe will produce a mole ‘concentrate’, which can be stored and matured in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or can be frozen for up to 6 months. Once you’re ready to cook, I’ll show you how to make a simple Pollo de Mole (Mole Chicken) which is great with rice and in tacos. Because of the speciality ingredients involved, I recommend freezing any leftover concentrate for another day. If you’ve never tried mole before, I’m certain you will want to eat it again really soon. Let’s go!