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Mole, comes from the Aztec word Molli, which means sauce. A mole typically contains a mixture of chiles,
nuts, seeds, and vegetables. Please don’t think we sit around all
day watching Netflix, but Chef’s Table’s 3rd Episode about Mexican
Chef Enrique Olvera inspired our Grilled Chicken or Octopus with Mole. In the documentary, there is an old woman in
a village, with a molcajete (mortar
and pestle), made from volcanic rock that has a large divot due to the many years
of grinding Mole, illustrating the amount of work that goes into this sauce. Mole can vary significantly by region and
most have over 100 ingredients and take at least 3 days to make. Chef Olvera serves mole as a course all on its own,
not just as a condiment, illustrating his
confidence in the complexity of the Mole.
In fact, he has kept the same Mole for three years and simply makes and
adds more to the same batch over time.
We imagine this is similar to the fry oil at Blue & White Take Out
on Rt. 1 in Old Town, who probably hasn't changed that oil since 1973, which
makes that Fried Chicken tastes so good.
Well, this is the same principal for Chef Olvera’s Mole, as the flavor
changes and “matures” with the passage of time.
Although French Cuisine
is the foundation for Western cooking, there are so many other cultures with
their own complicated and sophisticated sauces.
Mole, while certainly influenced by the Spanish, is a simple dish that
requires many ingredients and a lot of patience. We will make the Mole ahead of time, using
the following ingredients:
Butter, Sweet Onion, Peanuts, Dark Chocolate 64%, Tomatoes, Cinnamon,
Pumpkin, Garlic, Ancho Chili, Pasilla Chili, Mulato Chili, Guajillo Chili,
Chipotle Meco Chili, Chipotle Morita Chili, Sesame Seeds, Toasted Cumin,
Oregano, Caraway seeds, Thyme, Mace, and Clove…..HOLY MOLE that is a lot of
ingredients!
The Octopus option may
seem a little out of place, but that is one of the dishes Chef Olvera serves
over Mole. Octopus needs to be cooked
for 2 hours to tenderize. Or, if you are
Sushi Chef Sukiyabashi Jiro, from the documentary Jiro Dreams of
Sushi (ok…maybe too much Netflix), you massage your octopus for 45 minutes to
tenderize. We prefer Sous Vide.
While our Mole will be excellent, we are certain that old lady
with the volcanic rock has 5 times as many ingredients and spends nearly three
times as long making hers. We emulate what we respect.
Bon Appetite!
Time to Cook: 30 min.
Cook by Day: Monday (chicken) or Wednesday (Octopus) *Let us know at checkout if you
are not cooking on the day of delivery and certain items will be left
unprepped.
Items included (serves 2)
*Menu
items subject to slight variation based on the availability of fresh
ingredients; Picture is not necessarily representative of final dish
Meal Contains (including add-ons): Milk (Mole), Shellfish,
Tree Nuts (Mole). We store, portion, and
package various meal kits containing all eight (8) major allergens (milk,
wheat, egg, soy, fish, shellfish, peanuts, and tree nuts) and cannot guarantee
that cross-contamination will not occur between kits.
Add-on Checkout Items
Bon Appétit!