Mole Poblano (Pueblan — Chocolate and Dried Chilli — Turkey Method)

Mole Poblano is the most internationally recognised of the Mexican moles, and its reputation — deserved or not — as Mexico's national dish has made it simultaneously celebrated and clichéd. The authentic Pueblan version is nothing like the commercial pastes sold in supermarkets: it is a complex, painstaking sauce that takes a full day to prepare and uses turkey (guajolote) rather than chicken as its traditional protein. The chilli base begins with ancho, mulato, and pasilla chillies — the 'holy trinity' of Pueblan mole chillies — toasted on a dry comal and soaked in hot water. A small amount of chipotle is added for smokiness. Tomatoes and tomatillos are charred alongside onion and garlic. Plantain, raisins, and a corn tortilla are fried in lard until golden; almonds, peanuts, and sesame seeds are toasted separately. All these elements are blended in batches into a smooth paste. The assembled paste is fried in lard in a large cazuela — the paso de freír — until it darkens and the fat separates around the edges. Turkey stock, made from the turkey carcass and neck simmered for two to three hours, is added incrementally. The sauce simmers for 45 minutes before the final addition: Mexican chocolate and sugar, balanced carefully so the mole is savoury-sweet rather than a chocolate sauce with chilli in it. Turkey pieces — legs and thighs typically — are browned in lard, then added to the mole to simmer for a final 30 minutes. The turkey takes on the sauce's colour and complexity; the sauce takes on the turkey's fat and juices. Mexican mole is always a co-creation between sauce and protein. Served with white rice, black beans, and warm corn tortillas, mole poblano represents the synthesis of pre-Columbian and Spanish culinary traditions that defines Mexican cuisine.