Have you ever tried Mole? This classic Mexican sauce is perfect for all occasions!

Casa Blanca Mexican Restaurant Mole Sauce has been popular in Mexico for years; it is enough of a cultural motif that three different Mexican states claim ownership over the condiment. One myth behind its creation takes place in the Convent of Santa Rosa in Puebla, when a group of nuns combined all the food that they had, including chili peppers, bread, chocolate, nuts, and spices to create a dish for the archbishop. According to legend, the word “mole” originates from the word “mix”, referring to the mixture that the nuns had created. Today, the sauce has many derivations, and still uses a mix of ingredients, but always includes chili pepper.

Mole Sauce is incredibly popular in Mexico! 99 percent of Mexicans have tried the sauce at least once in their lifetime. The sauce is widely celebrated throughout Mexico. The community of San Pedro Atocpan has held an annual festival since 1977, and the largest pot of Mole Sauce ever (enough to feed 11,000 people) was made in 2005 at a festival in the city of Puebla.

To try this great treat at home, check out this recipe by Martha Stewart!

Mexican Mole Sauce

This chocolate mole is bound to be the life of your party!

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

2 plum tomatoes, cored and chopped

1 ounce semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup raisins

2 corn tortillas (6 inches each), cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips

1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 dried ancho chile (available in the spice aisle or produce section)

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1/3 cup blanched almonds

Directions:

In a large heavy-bottom saucepan, heat oil over medium-high. Add ancho chile; cook until soft and pliable (do not brown), 30 to 60 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon, and discard stem. Transfer chile to a food processor.
To pan, add almonds, garlic, and tortillas; cook, stirring, until toasted, 2 to 3 minutes; transfer to food processor with slotted spoon.
Add onion and tomatoes to pan; cook until tomatoes begin to blacken, 8 to 10 minutes (reduce heat if necessary). Add raisins and pepper flakes; transfer to food processor.
Add chocolate and cinnamon to food processor; puree until a paste begins to form, about 3 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water; puree until smooth, about 7 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.
Divide between two airtight containers; refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months. Defrost over low heat or in the microwave.

For more tips and tricks about Mexican cuisine, visit our blog. Or, if you don’t feel like cooking, come visit Casa Blanca Mexican at one of our locations in Andover, North Andover, Haverhill, or North Billerica, MA.