Mole Amarillo con Pollo

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg chicken pieces
• 1 onion, quartered
• 4 guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 2 chilhuacle or additional guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 tomatillos
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 hoja santa leaves, torn (or substitute 1 tsp fennel seeds)
• 2 tbsp masa harina mixed with 1/4 cup water
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• Salt
• Corn masa dumplings or rice, for serving

Before you cook

• Stem and seed the chiles.
• Tear the hoja santa leaves if using.

Steps

1. Place the chicken in a pot with the onion and water to cover, and simmer for 25 minutes until just cooked through.
2. Lift out the chicken and reserve the broth.
3. Toast the guajillo and chilhuacle chiles in a dry skillet for 30 seconds per side, then soak them in hot water for 15 minutes.
4. Char the tomatoes, tomatillos, and garlic in the same dry skillet, turning, for 8 minutes until blackened in spots.
5. Toast the cumin seeds, cloves, and cinnamon stick in the skillet for 1 minute until fragrant.
6. Drain the soaked chiles and blend them with the charred vegetables, toasted spices, and 2 cups of the reserved broth until smooth.
7. Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat and strain the blended sauce into it, pressing through to remove any grit.
8. Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes, stirring often.
9. Stir in the hoja santa leaves.
10. Whisk in the masa harina mixture and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
11. Return the chicken to the pot and simmer for 10 more minutes to heat through and absorb the sauce.
12. Season with salt to taste and serve with rice or masa dumplings.