Recipe - Spanish Chicken Mole

Thanks to Aidy for this recipe, which I have modified a bit using Raw Cacao powder.  This is a Spanish dish similar to one I first tried at the original Sisco’s in Macquarie St.  Theirs had seafood in it as well which would be a lovely addition - Moreton Bugs I think - I miss Sisco’s with their Chilli Snails and Paella…. oh well, that’s off topic…

 Please note:  this is NOT gluten free, due to the wheat based vinegar in the Tabasco sauce!  Replace this with minced chilli if required.

This is a high protein dish, with the almond and sesame seed sauce.

SPANISH CHICKEN MOLE

 2 tablespoons coconut oil,
  16 chicken pieces (approx) 
  1 cup finely chopped onion
  1 cup finely chopped green capsicum 
  3  cloves garlic, minced
  1/2 cup slivered almonds
  1/2 cup raisins 
  3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
  1 - 1.5  cups chicken stock
  2 small tins chopped tomatoes 
  6 teaspoons Raw Cacao powder (or grated unsweetened chocolate) 
  2 - 3 teaspoons hot (pepper) sauce (eg Tabasco or Piri Piri)  

  2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
  3 teaspoon ground allspice

  Organic (preferably Celtic) sea salt to taste.

Gently fry chicken in oil until browned. Place chicken into slow cooker. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan, and saute onion, green pepper and garlic until soft.  Place into slow cooker with the chicken.

Using a food processor, blender or mortar & pestle, grind almonds, raisins, toasted sesame seeds (carefully toast in a dry frypan on medium heat for a couple of mins, stirring and watching closely until golden brown) and RAW Cacao powder (not cocoa!) to form a paste.  Add salt, cinnamon and allspice, more stock and one tin of tomatoes and process to make a sauce.  Add to slow cooker and stir through the chicken and onion mixture.  Pour the other tin of tomatoes over the top.
 

Cook on low for 4 -5 hours until chicken is tender and has broken down somewhat.  Serve with rice and corn, or polenta and greens.

Notes:

Stay tuned for some photos which will show the sauce, and the dish halfway through cooking.  I couldn’t stop to take an after shot - the hoards were starving!

If you dont have a slow cooker, you can cook in the covered frying pan if you have one large enough , simmering for 30 to 40 minutes or until chicken is tender.

About halfway through cooking, I was concerned that the chicken was just going to be some wierd dish of chicken in chocolate sauce!  Don’t worry - let it keep cooking, the flavours develop  beautifully.  Adjust the spices and hot sauce to your taste. 

Next time I will leave out the browning of the chicken and sauteing the onion, garlic and capsicum.  What I love about the slow cooker is that I usually can throw ingredients in and they don’t need browning, which did take me considerable time given the quantities here.

Feel free to halve this recipe if your appetites are smaller, you don’t want leftovers (why wouldn’t you?) or if your slow cooker or frying pan is smaller than mine.

Serves 8 (enough for leftovers - and it is even better the next day)