Mole Negro: Mexican Chocolate Sauce with 30 Ingredients

Mole Negro: Mexican Chocolate Sauce with 30 Ingredients

Mole negro is the pinnacle of Mexican gastronomy: a sauce of 20–30 ingredients including several types of chilli, chocolate, spices and pumpkin seeds. It is cooked for hours and worth every minute.

History of the dish

Mole (from Nahuatl 'molli' — sauce) has existed in Mexico since pre-Columbian times. Oaxacan mole negro is one of the 'Seven Moles of Oaxaca'. Legend has it that nuns of the Santa Catalina convent devised the recipe to impress the viceroy.

Key ingredients

Chillies: mulato, ancho, pasilla, chipotle. Toasted bread, toasted spices (cinnamon, cloves, pepper), raisins, pumpkin seeds, sesame, peanuts, tomatoes, 70% dark chocolate, stock, garlic, onion.

How to cook at home

Cook each ingredient separately (fry, toast, simmer) before blending together. The final sauce simmers for at least 1 hour on low heat. The flavour should be complex: sweet, hot, chocolatey and smoky.