Yellow mole: A gateway to traditional Mexican cooking

“When people outside Mexico hear the word ‘mole,’” many think first of a spicy chocolate sauce, says Pati Jinich in Pati’s Mexican Table (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). That version—mole poblano—is “stupendous, but time-consuming.” Fortunately, there’s a world of moles out there, including this simple amarillito, or “little yellow” mole, from Oaxaca.

Moles are sauces flavored with vegetables, herbs, and sometimes nuts, seeds, or fruits. And they always include at least one kind of chile. Whether simple or complex, “they have one thing in common: They should not be rushed.” They tend to improve overnight, making it “a snap” to pull the whole dish together on the day you’re serving one.

Recipe of the week

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Yellow mole with masa dumplings

2 ancho chiles and 2 guajillo chiles

1 lb tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed

1 medium ripe tomato

4 garlic cloves

2 whole cloves

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp dried oregano, preferably Mexican

6 tbsp vegetable oil

¼ cup chopped white onion

5 cups chicken or vegetable broth

3 fresh or 5 dried hoja santa leaves, or 2

cilantro sprigs (optional)

8 chicken breasts, thighs, or drumsticks, or

a combination

Rinse, stem, and seed chiles. In a comal or skillet over medium heat, toast until fragrant, 10 to 15 seconds per side. Set aside.

In a saucepan, cover chiles, tomatillos, tomato, and garlic with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to a blender or food processor and let cool slightly. Add cloves, cinnamon, oregano, 2 tsp salt, and ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper. Puree until smooth.

In a large pot, heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in tomatillo puree and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add broth and hoja santa leaves, if using. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a deep skillet, heat remaining 3 tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add chicken to skillet and brown, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Return all chicken to skillet. Pour in mole sauce and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 20–30 minutes, adding the dumplings for the last 15 minutes of cooking.

For the dumplings:

1 cup instant corn masa flour

1½ tbsp lard or vegetable shortening

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp salt

½ tsp sugar

In a bowl, knead masa flour with ¾ cup lukewarm water until smooth, 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients and knead until smooth, about 1 minute. Roll dough into about 15 one-inch balls. With your little finger, make a dimple in the middle of each dumpling. Serves 6 to 8.