Holy Mole Guac with Plantain Chips #GuacSquad12 #sponsor

On the first day of summer, I wrote about this multi-day, multi-blogger celebration of all guacamole: #GuacSquad12. Well, it's arrived. The event is finally here.

We've timed this guacamole celebration to coincide with the release of the Guac-Lock™ by Casabella. At the beginning of the month, I shared the amazing giveaway we have with items from our generous sponsors: enter here! You can win a Guac-Lock™ of your own.

Today, I'm kicking off the #GuacSquad12 event with a recipe that is the antithesis of quick and easy guac. And that's because I have swirled a quick and easy guac with a homemade mole that takes about three hours to make and another twenty-four hours for the flavors to fully develop.

This recipe was inspired by a mole-making class I attended last month. Here I am, with one of my best friends, in our breath-taking hairnets which were required in the commercial kitchen. You can read the piece I wrote for Edible Monterey Bay about Unlocking the Mysteries of Mole.

Before the class, I really had no idea what mole was. I mean, I had heard of it, but nothing definitive came to mind when I read it on a menu. Mole. Apparently, it just means sauce - a sauce made with chiles.

The version we learned was a mole negro from the Oaxaca region in Mexico. Its distinctive flavor comes from the twenty-five ingredients and the charring. You achieve a layer of smokiness by blistering the peppers over an open flame and burning the pepper seeds in lard.

Ingredients

Mole makes 5 to 6 C of mole so you'll have lots and lots of leftovers for other dishes

• 6 to 8 T lard (preferably home-rendered)
• 2 to 4 C homemade chicken stock
• 4 oz dried ancho chiles 
• 4 oz dried  pasilla chiles
• 2 T pecans
• 2 T peanuts
• 2 T almonds
• 1 T sesame seeds
• 1/8 C dried apricots
• 1/8 C dried prunes
• 1/8 C raisins
• sherry (enough to cover the dried fruits)
• 1 large or 2 medium onions
• 4 unpeeled garlic cloves
• 1 large ripe tomato
• 8 oz tomatillos, with husks
• 1 plantain
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 1/2 t black peppercorns
• 2 cloves
• 1 t dried oregano
• 18 g chocolate (1/2 of an Abuelita chocolate tablet or other)
• salt to taste

Guacamole

• 2 ripe avocados* (thank you, Melissa's Produce)
• 1 t cilantro paste or 1 T fresh cilantro* (thank you, Gourmet Garden)
• 1 t chunky garlic paste or 1 T fresh garlic*(thank you, Gourmet Garden)
• 1 t ground cumin
• juice from 1 organic lemon
• 1 t olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Serving

• plantain chips
• fresh cilantro for garnish

Procedure

Mole
Bring your chicken stock to a boil, then hold it at a simmer. Slice your dried peppers lengthwise. Open them up and take out the seeds and the veins. Set the seeds aside. You can discard the stems and veins. 

Cut the apricots and plums to the size of the raisins and place them in a medium bowl. Pour sherry over the top of them until they are submerged, approximately 1/2 C. Set aside.

With tongs, hold peppers over an open flame until they blister and turn a lighter shade of brown. Place them in a large bowl and pour hot stock over the top. Every 10 to 15 minutes, turn the peppers or press them down so that they are submerged.

Melt 1 T lard in a skillet and toast the nuts. I started with the almonds, added the pecans, then added the peanuts. When they are all golden brown, approximately 5 to 7 minutes, place them in the bowl with the peppers. Toast the sesame seeds until they begin to pop. Place those in the bowl with the peppers, too.

Melt 1 T large in the skillet and toast the spices. I started with the cinnamon sticks and clove and ended with the oregano. Once toasted, place them in the bowl with the peppers, nuts, and seeds.

Melt 1 T lard in the same skillet and char the seeds from the peppers. You want these really, really burnt. Place the seeds in a large mason jar filled with ice water. Let stand for 30 minutes. Change the water and ice and let stand for another 30 minutes. 

Melt 1 T large in the same skillet and fry thick slices of plantain until crisped and golden. Place those in the bowl with the peppers.

Cut onion, tomato, and tomatillo into large chunks, Crush and mince the garlic. Melt 2 T lard in your skillet and cook onion, garlic, tomato, and tomatillo until everything is softened and the onion turning translucent. Place the chocolate in the mixture and cook until the chocolate is melted. Stir well to combine.

Combine all of the ingredients into one large bowl - the peppers, the sherry-soaked fruit, the chocolate-tomato mixture, and the charred pepper seeds. Now you are ready to combine all of the elements and purée all the ingredients, using either a blender and food processor combination or a blender by itself. In batches, purée everything until smooth.

In a large, heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the remaining lard over high heat until rippling. Add the purée, all at once, taking care to avoid splatters. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook, stirring frequently, for at least 30 minutes until the taste of the chiles has mellowed. Season to taste with salt. Set aside. The flavors will deepen and develop the longer you let the mole sit. I left mine to age for two days - in the fridge - before using.

Guacamole
When you're ready to serve, place all of the guacamole ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mash with a fork until you get the consistency that you prefer. Some people like a more chunky guacamole; others prefer it more smooth. Spoon your guacamole into a serving bowl.

To Serve
Swirl mole into the top of your guacamole. Garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve with plantain chips. Enjoy!

Here are Our Sponsors*... 

and how you can find them around the internet

Casabella

on the web, on Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram

Gourmet Garden Herbs & Spices

on the web, on Twitter, on Facebook, on Pinterest, on Instagram, on Google+

Melissa's Produce

on the web, on Twitter, on Facebook, on Pinterest, on Instagram

The Giveaway...

Our generous sponsors have contributed prizes for this event. 

Click for the giveaway: enter here!

*Disclosure: Bloggers received complimentary products from sponsors for the creation of this event. This is a sponsored post that contains affiliate links. 

Although this post is sponsored, all opinions are our own.*