Chicken Mole

Ingredients:

• 1 whole free range chicken
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 sticks of celery, roughly chopped
• 1 onion, peeled and halved

Mole Sauce

• 4 dried ancho chillies (I used 2 ancho chillies and 2 guajillo chiles)
• 2 fresh red chillies, sliced
• olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 tsp gournd cinnamon
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 50g unsalted peanuts (I used cashews)
• 2 tbsp runny honey (I used it but don’t think its necessary in this recipe)
• 50 dark chocolate (at least 85% but better if you can get  Mexican Oaxacan chocolate)
• 1 ripe tomato

Method

• You will need to poach your chicken for approximately 2 hours until it’s tender and cooked through.  Start by adding carrot, celery and onion to the bottom of your slow cooker and then place the whole chicken on top.  Cook on low until its done.  Once cooked, remove the chicken from the pot and allow to rest for 10 mins before pulling the meat off the bones.  You can save all this chicken stock you’ve made by placing in jars and ice cubes trays and into the freezer for use in other recipes.
• Whilst the chicken is cooking you can make the mole sauce.  Put the dried chillies in boiling water for half hour to re hydrate.
• Toast the peanuts or cashews until golden and set aside.  Prepare the fresh chillies, onion and garlic.  Now heat oil in pan over medium-low heat and saute onion, chillies and garlic until softened but not browned for about 10 minutes.
• Add in the spices and stir for 1 minute and then remove from heat.
• Remove and discard stems of ancho chillies and place in blender with onion mixture, peanuts, honey, tomato, chocolate and a splash or two of the chilli water.  Season with salt and pepper and blitz until a thick paste forms.  Add more chilli water if necessary.
• Mix shredded chicken and mole sauce together.
• Serve with coriander rice and warmed tortillas.  You might even like a side of picked cabbage or avocado salsa.