Wednesday, November 21, 2007
I'm hungry.
In the grocery store the other day, I picked up a basket, and began shopping for a few things. I was moving through the produce section as I usually do. First, I look at the bananas. They're extremely green, so I don't buy any, then I go to the lettuce and it's really wet and wilted, so I don't pick any of that up either. No salad this week. Then, I head towards the zucchini and mushrooms. Two items that can't be bad in the produce department. Really, there's nothing that can be wrong with either of these. Have you ever heard of a bruised mushroom? I filled up a bag and as I was placing it in my basket, I noticed that there was a grocery list in the bottom of the basket. I was in a bit of a strange mood and thought that it might be great to ditch the things that were on my list and try shopping with somebody else's list for a change. Unfortunately, when I looked at the list it the following items listed: sandwich meat, coffee whitener, buns OR bread, and sugar. That was it. Hardly seemed worth a trip to the grocery store if you ask me. I probably would have just grabbed a jar of peanut butter, spread it on some saltines, and drank my coffee black. If you want to try shopping with somebody else's list, try mine out. I guarantee there's at least six dozen different meals that could be made with a combination of the following ingredients + anything you have lying around.
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Chicken Mole
From The Good Food: Soups, Stews and Pastas (Canada, UK), by Daniel Halpern and Julie Strand.
www.ochef.com/r1.htm
The chocolate in this classic Mexican dish makes for a very rich, somewhat mysterious and delicious sauce. We first tasted mole in Cuernavaca, where it was prepared by a superb local cook, whose dark sauce was the consistency of heavy cream. We have been disappointed since by the watery versions served in many American Mexican restaurants, but have found that the sauce is not difficult to master at home.
Ingredients:
4 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp sunflower kernels
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp aniseeds
1 cup blanched slivered almonds
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/3 cup chili powder
1 cup canned Italian tomatoes, drained, seeded, and chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 tortilla, torn into small pieces
3 cups chicken stock
2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, grated
4 whole chicken breasts, split
4 chicken thighs
4 chicken drumsticks
Garnish: chopped fresh coriander
Instructions:
In a small skillet, heat 1 Tbsp of the oil over moderate heat and in it cook the sunflower kernels, sesame seeds, cumin seeds, aniseeds, and almonds, stirring constantly until the sesame seeds and almonds are golden, 2 or 3 minutes. Purée the mixture in a food processor.
Add to the processor the raisins, oregano, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, chili powder, tomatoes, onions, garlic, salt, pepper, the tortilla, and 1/2 cup of the stock and purée until smooth.
Transfer the purée to a saucepan. Stir in the remaining 2-1/2 cups stock, bring the sauce to a simmer, and add the chocolate. Cook the sauce at a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, to melt the chocolate.
While the sauce is simmering, rinse the chicken quickly in cold water and dry with paper towels. In a large casserole, heat the remaining 3 Tbsp oil over moderately high heat and in it sauté the chicken in batches until each piece is golden brown on all sides. Set the pieces aside on a plate as done.
Put the chicken and any accumulated juices in a flameproof casserole, placing the dark meat on the bottom. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Simmer, covered, until the chicken is tender, about 30 minutes.
Place the chicken on a warm serving platter. Pour the sauce over the chicken, garnish with the chopped fresh coriander, and serve.
Yield: Serves 8 to 10
Thanks for the recipe. Sounds awesome. It's next on my list!
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