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For Your Next Big Occasion, Make Mole Negro — a Symphony of Chiles, Nuts, Seeds and Chocolate

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2021 F&W Best New Chef Fermín Núñez of Suerte and Este in Austin has worked on perfecting this mole negro — one of the classic Seven Moles of Oaxaca — for over a decade. This rendition begins by making a mole paste that’s thinned at the end with chicken broth to transform it to a rich, deep, and complex mole negro sauce. 

Mole negro is a symphony of dried pasilla, ancho, and morita chiles with toasted almonds, pecans, and peanuts, plus dried fruits and spices for a touch of sweetness, along with Mexican chocolate. The dried chiles that are burnt until black and crispy, giving the mole negro its namesake black color. “You taste everything that’s in there, and it’s not just a cloudy thing of flavors that is a little bit of sweet, a little bit of spicy,” Núñez says. “There’s a lot of layers and depth of flavor.” 

Núñez makes this mole negro on Día de Muertos in memory of his grandmother, Maria. “She never really got to know who I am, and I think this is my way of telling her,” he says. It’s a mole Núñez believes would make his grandmother proud: “I would think that she would hopefully say it’s perfect.” 

Serve this mole over juicy roast chicken or turkey, garnished with sesame seeds and Mexican crema.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is mole?

    Mole, meaning “potage” or “mixture” in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, is a blend of chiles, seeds, nuts, bread, and fruits (fresh and dried) with a liquid (water or stock), sometimes served with chicken, beef, or pork, or on its own with rice, tortillas, or bread. Mole exists in a variety of preparations throughout Mexico, and each dish has its own unique flavor profile.

  • What are the Seven Moles of Oaxaca?

    Oaxaca, in southern Mexico, is renowned for its Seven Moles, including: mole amarillo, or yellow mole, made with chicken and yellow chiles; mole verde, or green mole, owing its color to the green herbs, vegetables, and chiles in the sauce; mole rojo (red mole), is the most well-known outside of Mexico, sometimes confused with mole poblano, since they’re made with red chiles, nuts, chocolate, and, sometimes, sweet plantain. In the list of seven moles is also mole coloradito, a sauce that’s a lighter shade of red due to the chiles and tomatoes, and often served with chicken. Mole chichilo, made with avocado leaves, chiles, cloves, and garlic, is the least known of the moles and is served with white rice and turkey. Although the origins of its name remain shrouded in mystery, mole manchamanteles, or “tablecloth stainer,” is a sweet and spicy sauce made with ancho chiles, allspice, black pepper, and sweet plantains, plus fruits such as pineapples. Among these, however, mole negro, or black mole, is “the king of moles,” on account of the complex preparation and large number of ingredients, including several varieties of dried and fresh chiles, nuts, fruits, and seeds, plus bread or tortilla to thicken the sauce. Mole negro is the traditional dish served at major celebrations and holiday festivities, including Día de Muertos.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

When cooking tomato paste, the color will change from bright red to dark red, and the flavor will change from mild tomato to roasted tomato. 

Suggested pairing

Try pairing this rich mole dish with a chocolaty, velvety, bold Argentinean Malbec, such as Catena.

Make ahead

Mole paste can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month or frozen for about three months. Thaw paste overnight in the refrigerator, and reheat it on the stove before adding the chicken broth. Mole negro sauce can be stored for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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