eclaire (what’s in a) name?

mole is one of the most amazing sauces i’ve ever consumed. it has such a complex flavor – spicy, sweet, rich, and above all, absolutely delicious on any taco, burrito, tamale, tortilla, enchilada, or even nachos! despite the amazing taste and flexibility of the sauce, mole is not something that looks amazing in pictures. trust me, on this one though, because once you try it, i’m sure you’ll be back for seconds…and thirds.

there are hundreds of mole-creation lores out there. the one that always sticks in my brain (i think it’s the one my mom used to tell me when we made mole on christmas eve) is set in a convent in the middle of winter. the nuns got word that a priest would be stopping there for dinner on his travels, so they turned their cupboards out and threw everything they had into the pan. out of this, they created the most amazing and complex sauce that i have ever tasted (can you tell that i love this stuff?).

so, as you can tell from this story, this isn’t a seasonal or particularly fresh recipe. but you probably have most, if not all, of the ingredients on hand, and that is priceless when you’re in a pinch to make something delicious and don’t have the time or desire to run to the store.

in addition to tons of mole stories, there are also hundreds of mole recipes out there. i picked this one because it can be made in just about 30 minutes (relatively short for mole), is completely vegetarian (most moles in restaurants and taquerias have a distinct chicken broth flavor), has the perfect balance of sweet and spicy, and has a good quantity of my favorite two ingredients – peanut butter and cocoa.  in addition to all of these fine reasons to make this recipe, you’ll find that it’s a little lumpy from the tomatoes and onions, which isn’t “normal” for mole, but which i thoroughly enjoy. if you don’t, feel free to blend the ingredients after the recipe is made with either a hand blender or regular blender if you prefer the smooth stuff.

mole sauce

adapted from vegetarian times, february 2006
yields 4c of mole, which can easily be spread over 12 servings of tacos (less if you’re using it for enchilada sauce)

• 2T vegetable (canola) oil
• 2 medium-sized onions
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4c chili powder
• 2T brown sugar
• 3/4t ground cinnamon
• 1/2t cayenne pepper
• 1/8t ground cloves
• 15oz can diced tomatoes
• 3T cocoa powder
• 3T peanut butter
• 2c water
• salt and pepper to taste
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1. chop the onions and mince the garlic
2. heat oil in large pan over medium heat, then add onions and saute for 10 minutes
3. add garlic, chili powder (yes, you need 1/4c!), brown sugar, cinnamon, cayenne, and cloves, and saute for 2 minutes
4. add the diced tomatoes (do not drain), cocoa powder, peanut butter, and water and bring to simmer
5. simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until sauce has thickened
6. season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve on tacos, burritos, over enchiladas, or any other way that sounds good to you!