Oaxacan Black Mole

Forgot to post this recipe long ago, and I'm trying it again soon, so here it is! This is Rick Bayless' Top Chef Masters-winning, 20-some ingredient, labor-intensive mole. it took Gabe and I hours to make and left us with burning eyes and lungs from the chile smoke and black splatter stains all over our oven and cabinets, but it was totally worth it. one of the most complex things i have ever tasted. The below version is slightly simplified from Bayless' recipe and vegetarianized. See here for one application - would also be good as a sauce for quesadillas, enchiladas, or chiles relleno.

Oaxacan Black Mole

6 ounces dried mulato chiles
4 ounces dried pasilla chiles
1 dried chipotle chile
1 corn tortilla, torn into small pieces
2 1/4-inch-thick slices of white onion
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
About 2 cups vegetable oil
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup pecan halves
1/4 cup peanuts
1/4 cup almonds
About 10 cups broth
1 1/2 pound tomatoes and/or tomatillos, roughly chopped
2 slices stale bread, toasted until very dark
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
A scant teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 ripe banana
3 ounces chopped dark chocolate
Salt to taste
~1/4 cup sugar

Pull out the stems (and attached seed pods) from the chiles, tear them open and shake or scrape out the seeds, collecting them as you go.

Scoop the seeds into an ungreased medium-size (8- to 9-inch) skillet along with the torn-up tortilla, set over medium heat, turn on an exhaust fan, open a window and toast your seeds and tortilla, shaking the pan regularly, until thoroughly burned to charcoal black, about 15 minutes. Now, scrape them into a fine-mesh strainer and rinse for 30 seconds or so, then transfer to a blender.

Roast the onion slices and whole, unpeeled garlic cloves under the broiler until very dark, flipping halfway through. Cool the garlic a bit, peel it and combine with the onion in a large bowl.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat up the 2 cups of the oil in a wide pan begin frying the chiles a couple at a time: They'll unfurl quickly, then release their aroma and piquancy (keep that exhaust on and window open) and, after about 30 seconds, have lightened in color and be well toasted (they should be crisp when cool, but not burnt smelling). Drain them well, gather them into a large bowl, cover with hot tap water, and let rehydrate for 30 minutes, stirring regularly to ensure even soaking. Drain, reserving the soaking liquid.

While the chiles are soaking, toast the seeds and nuts. Spread the sesame seeds onto a baking sheet or ovenproof skillet, spread the pecans, peanuts and almonds onto another baking sheet or skillet, then set both into the oven. In about 12 minutes the sesame seeds will have toasted to a dark brown; the nuts will take slightly longer. Add all of them to the blender along with 1 1/2 cups of the broth and blend to as smooth a puree as you can. Transfer to a small bowl.

Without rinsing the blender, combine the tomatoes and tomatillos with another 1/2 cup of the broth and puree.

Pour into another bowl. Again, without rinsing the blender, combine the roasted onion and garlic with the toasted bread, cloves, black pepper, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, banana and 3/4 cup broth. Blend to a smooth puree and pour into a small bowl.

Finally, without rinsing the blender, scoop in half of the chiles, measure in 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid, blend to a smooth puree, then pour into another bowl. Repeat with the remaining chiles and another 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid.

2. From four purees to mole. In a very large (8- to 9-quart) pot (preferably a Dutch oven or Mexican cazuela), heat 3 tablespoons of the lard or oil (some of what you used for the chiles is fine) and set over medium-high heat. When very hot, add the tomato puree and stir and scrape (a flat-sided wooden spatula works well here) for 15 to 20 minutes until reduced, thick as tomato paste, and very dark (it'll be the color of cinnamon stick and may be sticking to the pot in places). Add the nut puree and continue the stirring and scraping until reduced, thick and dark again (this time it'll be the color of black olive paste), about 8 minutes. Then, as you guessed it, add the banana-spice puree and stir and scrape for another 7 or 8 minutes as the whole thing simmers back down to a thick mass about the same color it was before you added this one.

Add the chile puree, stir well and let reduce over medium-low heat until very thick and almost black, about 30 minutes, stirring regularly (but, thankfully, not constantly). Stir in the remaining 7 cups of broth, the chocolate , partially cover and simmer gently for about an hour, for all the flavors to come together. Season with salt and sugar (remembering that this is quite a sweet mole and that sugar helps balance the dark, toasty flavors).

In batches in a loosely covered blender, puree the sauce until as smooth as possible, then pass through a medium-mesh strainer into a large bowl.