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This recipe and photos are courtesy of Cynthia Detterick-Pineda of Andrews, TX. More of Cynthia's
Southwest Recipes.
The traditions of
Thanksgiving and Christmas were transplanted into the Mexican culture. Most of
us know the American tradition of Thanksgiving, and the story of how the Indians
and settlers at Plymouth Rock shared a meal and festivities. Did you know that
the meal they shared was nothing like the meals we consider a Thanksgiving
Dinner now? The meal was probably more like what the Indians across the Americas
ate for years, mainly wild meats, whatever vegetables were in season, and no
pumpkin pie. It is hard to imagine Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie, but the use
of sugar in cooking was rare, especially for the settlers at Plymouth who had
only the supply of sugar brought over on the boat.
On November 1, 1872, state of
New Hampshire passed a proclamation to make the 28th of November
officially Thanksgiving. Over time, Thanksgiving began to be celebrated the
third Thursday in November instead of a set day. But whichever day Thanksgiving
falls on, it has become a cross cultural celebration with the foods of many
different nations being fused into the meal. It has become even more of what the
settlers at Plymouth and the Indians had made it then, a celebration of peace
among people from different cultures and origins. It was only natural that other
countries would take this idea of a celebration and feasting to give thanks and
integrate it into their own holidays. Mexico is no exception to that.
Mexican Americans and others
have put their own gastronomical twist on Thanksgiving meals. Those recipes are
the ones I hope to share with you here. These are not “tradition,” nor are they
found at all Thanksgiving celebrations, which include Latin American foods, but
they are the foods many consider a Thanksgiving meal in the Southwest.
Foods such as Turkey
in Mole Sauce, posole (hominy),
Mexican
Tripe Soup
(Menudo),
Enchiladas,
Tamales,
different varieties of
potatoes,
Beans, an array of salads, along with other foods, both traditional
(to Americans) and not so traditional.
Mole Poblano de
Guajolote - Turkey in Mole Sauce Recipe
Recipe Type:
Poultry,
Chile Peppers,
Condiments
& Sauces, Turkey, Holidays
Cuisine: Southwest, Mexican
Yields:
serves many
Prep time: 1 hr
Ingredients:
Whole Turkey or chickens (your choice)
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 cup slivered almonds (blanched)
4 to 5 dried ancho chiles (ancho chles are dried poblano chiles)
6 dried red
chile peppers
3 cups of chicken stock (beef or vegetable stock may also be used), divided
1 tablespoon sunflower kernels (unsalted)
1/2 teaspoon whole anise seeds
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 medium
onion, diced
3 cloves
garlic, minced
2 medium-size
tomatoes , peeled and chopped*
1
corn tortillas, torn into small pieces
2 ounces unsweetened baking
chocolate, grated
Salt and pepper to taste
*
Learn
How To Peel Fresh Tomatoes.
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
F.
Cut the turkey as you would a
chicken for frying, dividing larger pieces into smaller ones if needed. If you
are using chickens, cut these the same.
In a large skillet over
medium heat, add the vegetable oil and brown the turkey on all sides, a batch at
a time. When one batch is browned, place them in a large baking dish, and go on
to the next batch. Once they are all in the baking dish, bake for 50
minutes. NOTE: If using chicken you can decrease this time to 30 minutes.
Continue to keep the meat warm after they have baked in the oven.
In another large skillet over
medium heat, toast sesame seeds and the slivered almonds lightly. Remove from
heat and set aside.
In this same skillet your
browned the turkey, add the dried chiles (ancho and reds) turning
frequently. They will begin to puff when they are done.
Some red chiles are already toasted before being sold in bags at the store;
check the bag to see if this is the case. If the chiles you have are already
toasted, then they will not need to be toasted a second time. Once they
are toasted and beginning to puff, add just enough hot water to cover. Turn off
the heat, and let them sit there for about 15 to 20 minutes. Once the chile
peppers are softened in the water, drain them well, and discard the water.
 In a food processor or large
blender, place 3 or 4 prepared chile peppers at a time with about 1/4 cup of the
chicken stock and blend. Add a few more chile peppers at a time with another
1/4 cup of chicken stock and continue to blend until all have blended down but
are not completely smooth. Add the sunflower kernels, anise seed, almonds,
raisins, oregano, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, onion, garlic, tomatoes, corn
tortilla, and an additional 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Blend until smooth.
Place the purée into a
saucepan large enough to add the turkey pieces eventually. Stir in the remaining
2 1/2 cups of stock and bring the sauce up to a simmer. Add more of the chicken
stock if needed so the mixture doesn’t get clumpy or too thick.
Add the grated
chocolate. Cook at a simmer, stirring frequently, until the chocolate melts.
Now that you have added the chocolate, you have Mole
Sauce.
Add the turkey or chicken to
the pureed Mole Sauce and heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer to large serving
dish with an edge to prevent any sauce from over flowing. Sprinkle fresh
coriander and a few toasted sesame seeds over the top. It is now ready to
serve.
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