Chilaquiles de mole

Ingredients for mole sauce:

5 dried anchos or your favorite kind of dried chilies

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1 clove garlic peeled and chopped or from the jar 

¼ teaspoon each: cinnamon, ground cloves, dried oregano, powdered cumin, ground coriander, ground anise seeds

1/3 cup (55 g) sliced almonds

1/4 cup (40 g) raisins or diced prunes

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

3/4 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper, or to taste

1 cup (250 ml) water (or more, as needed)

1 oz (30 g) unsweetened chocolate, melted

Instructions:

Remove the seeds and stems from the chilies (Make sure they’re submerged in water) and boil for about 5 minutes or so until soft. puree the chiles in a blender or with a hand blender. If the skins are tough, you may want to pass the puree through a food mill or strainer.

In a small skillet, sauté onion in vegetable oil until soft and translucent. Add garlic, and sauté another minute. Add spices and cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds, being careful not to let them burn.

Add to the chili puree in the blender, the toasted almonds, the cooked onions and garlic, raisins or prunes, sesame seeds, salt, pepper, water, and melted chocolate, then puree until smooth.

Add additional water, if necessary, until the consistency is smooth and slightly pourable.

Store in the refrigerator until ready for use.

Ingredients for chilaquiles:

9 corn tortillas

9 slices of your favorite cheese into thin slices (my favorite for this recipe is muenster cheese)

1 small onion

4-5 cups of mole sauce

Instructions:

Spread a good amount of mole sauce in the bottom of the pan, layer the corn tortillas, add the cheese and sprinkle raw onions as you like.

Repeat these layers three times and bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes.

I prefer this Chilaquiles de mole recipe without meat, but you can easily add your favorite kind of cooked meat to the layers like pulled pork or chicken.