ENCHILADAS DE MOLE POBLANO
Mole Poblano Chicken Enchiladas

Mole Sauce

6 dried ancho chilies, stemmed and seeded
6 dried anaheim chilies, stemmed and seeded
4 dried pasillas chilies, stemmed and seeded
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup whole almonds
1/4 cup sesame seeds paste
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick, broken in pieces
6 tablespoons oil for fryingsugar 1 corn tortilla1 banana (mashed)
4 clove pieces¼ tsp Cumin 1 tsp. anis
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped salt
5 tablespoons oil for preparing2 cups chicken stock / water

How to cook:

Tear the ancho, anaheim, and pasillas chilies into large pieces and fry them in hot oil
over medium heat until they change color a bit, about 1½ minutes. Transfer them to a
bowl and cover them with hot water. Soak until softened (about 30 minutes). In the same skillet over medium heat, fry the almonds, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, raisins and tortilla (fry for 1 minute) each ingredient separately. Grind in a spice grinder and add the cumin, anis, cloves, peppercorns.  Add the powder to a blender and add ½ cup of chicken stock, blend until well mixed. In the same skillet over medium-high heat, add the preparing oil
and cook the blended mixture. Add the chocolate tablet and the mashed banana and pour some chicken stock to make a sauce. Mix thoroughly. Put the soaked chiles in the blender along with some of the Chile soaking liquid. Puree, adding more soaking liquid as needed, to make a smooth sauce. (This makes about 1 cup sauce) add this mixture to the skillet and mix well (the chilies will add the aroma), pour the rest of the chicken stock and season to taste with salt a dash of sugar. If the mole is too spicy you may add a teaspoon of sugar. Please note that this recipe tends to be sweet.


The Enchiladas

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast
Salt and pepper, to taste  
1 red onion, chopped   
1 cup Queso Fresco la Cubeta Los Altos, crumbled
18 corn tortillas
Crema Mexicana Los Altos

How to cook:

Cook chicken with salt over medium heat allow 15 minutes or until no longer pink. Shred chicken and transfer to a platter, allow to cool. Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds. This softens them and makes them more pliable. Coat the bottom of 2 (13 by 9-inch) pans with a ladle of mole sauce. Using a large shallow bowl, dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce to lightly coat. Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture in each tortilla. Fold over filling, place 8 enchiladas in each pan with seam side down. Top with remaining mole and Queso Fresco
La Cubeta Los Altos. Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350°F oven until cheese melts. Garnish with Crema Mexicana Los Altos.

Serves 6.

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PICADITAS

This version of sopes is from Puerto Marques, a small beach community southeast of Acapulco. Whether they are called picaditas or picadas, garnachas or gorditas, these little “masa boats” are characterized by their pinched-up rims, which hold the savory filling.

Ingredients:

10 oz of masa
2 tablespoons of oil or melted lard
¾ cup of frijoles refritos
Salsa de molcajete
1 cup of thick Crema Mexicana Los Altos
1 cup of crumbled Queso Cotija Los Altos
½ of chopped onion

How to cook:

Heat a comal or iron skillet over medium-high heat. Moisten your hands with lukewarm water and knead the masa for 2-3 minutes. Form into 10 small balls about the size of a walnut, each approximately 1 oz. Place each ball in a tortilla press and push the handle down halfway, to form a 3-in round of dough. Place the picadita on the
hot comal. Turn after 45-50 seconds or when the edges begin to dry out. After another
45 seconds, pinch the center of the picadita with your fingers. Turn it another time so
that the pinched parts is on the bottom. Coof for 45-60 seconds or until the dough looks cooked and its outer edge is a light golden brown. Remove from the heat and use your fingers to crimp the edge of the picadita to form an edge like a pie crust between ¼ and
½ inch high. Wrap in a clean cloth and set aside. This can be done up tp 2 hours before serving. Just before serving, heat the comal. Lightly grease the pinched surface of the picaditas with the oil or lard. Place each picadita on the comal with the pinched edge up.
As soon as the oil begins to bubblt, remove from the heat. Spread each picadita with the frijoles refritos and cover with the salsa. Add a dollop of cream and sprinkle with the cheese. If you wish, you may add the chopped onion or pass it in a separate bowl. The picaditas can be fried instead of toasted on the comal. Fried bits of chorizo can be added and the beans omitted. In short, picaditas, are very versatile; the filling used depends only on the ingenuity of the cook.

Makes 10 picaditas.