David’s Recipes – Need a recipe to spice up dinner? Try David Venable’s Chicken Mole. Using Mexican Chocolate, this dish will wow your dinner guests. For more of David’s recipes: https://qvc.co/XzmmsJ

Mole is a traditional Mexican sauce that’s filled with rich and complex flavors. Typically paired with chicken or pork. There are many different types of mole sauces and usually include a wide variety of peppers. Soaking the dried peppers is a necessary step that helps to rehydrate the skins of the peppers, making them moist and tender enough to blend in the sauce. The secret ingredient of the mole sauce is actually chocolate. Take the time to find authentic Mexican chocolate because it’s made with spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, and even some chilies. It’s essential for giving you a rich and flavorful mole. I also use this special chocolate to make my Mexican Hot Chocolate recipe. You’ll only need a few additional pantry staples to make that recipe happen and you can find that recipe by searching David’s recipes on QVC.com. Serve the chicken mole with some rice and fried beans and you’ve got a dish that’s sure to wow and you will have everyone wondering what the secret ingredient is.

Ingredients:

3 dried ancho chili peppers, stemmed & seeded
1 dried guajillo chili pepper, stemmed & seeded
4 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp whole blanched almonds
1 Tbsp raisins
1 Tbsp raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 of 1 corn tortilla, cut into 4 pieces
2 tsp garlic, chopped
1/3 cup onion, diced
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
1/8 tsp anise extract
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
Pinch of cloves
3-1/2 cups chicken stock
1-1/4 oz Mexican chocolate, chopped
6 (6-8-oz) chicken breast
Additional salt and pepper, for seasoning
cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Preparation:

1) Place the peppers in a bowl with hot water and let them sit for 1 hour. Drain and set the soaked peppers aside.
2) Preheat the oven to 350°F.
3) Combine 1 Tbsp oil, sesame seeds, almonds, raisins, pumpkin seeds, and corn tortilla pieces in a small bowl. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
4) Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a 2- or 3-qt saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and sauté until they begin to soften. Add the tomatoes to the pan and let simmer for 2–3 minutes.
5) Next, add the drained peppers, toasted mixture, anise extract, cumin, coriander, black pepper, salt, cloves, and 3 cups chicken stock to the pan and simmer for 1 hour.
6) Puree the mixture in a blender, in batches, adding the chocolate as you blend. Push the sauce through a fine mesh sieve or a piece of cheesecloth into a bowl.
7) Season the chicken breasts with additional salt and pepper. Heat the remaining 2 Tbsp oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, and then place the chicken in the pan. Brown on both sides and place them in a 9” x 13” baking dish.
8) Deglaze the sauté pan with 1/2 cup remaining chicken stock and add to the finished sauce. Pour the sauce over the browned chicken breasts, cover the baking dish, and braise in the oven for 45 minutes.
9) Remove the cover and then braise for an additional 15 minutes. Using two forks, shred the chicken breasts and toss with sauce. Serve over steamed rice and garnish with cilantro. **