Enmoladas de Pollo Oaxaqueñas
El Arte de los Moles: Demystifying the Sauces
Real mole is a profound labor of love, a multi-day symphony of toasting and grinding reserved for massive weddings and local festivals. But what happens on a Tuesday in the diaspora when you're craving the deep, smoky resonance of Oaxaca? You don't fake it, and you certainly don't bake it in a glass casserole dish. You take a good jarred mole paste, treat it with the respect of an abuela by blooming it in hot oil and enriching it with broth and Mexican chocolate, and you build the dish à la minute. Flash-fry the tortillas so they don't disintegrate into mush, drown them in the dark, simmering sauce, and eat immediately. This is the genuine, Tuesday-night-saving reality of Mexican home cooking.
Before you start
Set up an assembly line before you begin cooking.
Authentic enmoladas are built and eaten immediately. Have your warm shredded chicken, a paper-towel-lined plate, and serving plates ready to go before you fry a single tortilla.
Ingredients
- jarred Mole Negro or Mole Poblano paste8 oz
- vegetable oil1 tbsp
- chicken broth4 cup
- Mexican chocolate12 g
- kosher salt1 pinch
- thick corn tortillas12 med
- vegetable oil1/3 cup
- cooked chicken3 cup
- queso fresco1 cup
- white onion1/2 med
- white sesame seeds1 tbsp
- Mexican crema1/4 cup
- fresh cilantro1/4 cup
Method
- 01
Awaken the mole paste in hot oil.
In a wide skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat, add the stiff mole paste from the jar, and stir for one minute to bloom the dormant spices.
- 02
Gradually whisk in the warm chicken broth.
Pour the broth into the skillet one cup at a time, whisking constantly to smooth out any lumps until the paste is completely dissolved.
- 03
Melt the chocolate into the sauce and simmer.
Drop in the Mexican chocolate, lower the heat, and stir frequently until the sauce thickens to the consistency of melted ice cream, about 10 minutes.
- 04
Flash-fry the tortillas to create a protective lipid barrier.
Heat 1/3 cup of oil in a separate small skillet to 350°F and fry each corn tortilla for just 5 to 10 seconds per side so they become soft and pliable, not crispy.
- 05
Submerge each fried tortilla directly into the simmering mole.
Working quickly and using tongs, dunk the freshly fried tortilla directly into the simmering sauce, ensuring both sides are completely coated.
- 06
Fill and roll the enmoladas directly on the serving plate.
Transfer the sauce-bathed tortilla to a plate, place a generous spoonful of warm shredded chicken in the center, and fold it in half or roll it into a cylinder.
- 07
Smother with additional sauce and garnish heavily.
Ladle an extra spoonful of hot mole right over the top of the rolled tortillas, then immediately garnish with crumbled queso fresco, raw onion slices, a drizzle of crema, sesame seeds, and cilantro.
Notes
Never bake your enmoladas in a casserole dish.
Baking turns corn tortillas into unrecognizable mush and ruins the silken texture of the sauce; assemble and eat them à la minute.
Do not skip the flash-fry.
Submerging a raw, dry tortilla into hot mole is a rookie mistake that guarantees it will instantly disintegrate in the heavy sauce.
From Cook Oaxacan in America.