Chicken Molé Enchiladas

Chicken Molé Enchiladas

Not too hot or sweet with smokey Ancho chiles. “Fewer” ingredients without sacrificing flavor.

• Total time: 2.5 hours
• Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

Filling:

1½ lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs (4–5)
1 small onion, halved
1 celery stalk
1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt

Molé and Assembly:

4 large dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
⅓ cup golden raisins
¼ cup mole paste (preferably Rogelio Bueno)
1 Tbsp. chicken bouillon paste
2 tsp. creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. plus ¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup chopped semisweet chocolate
Kosher salt
8 oz. Monterey Jack, coarsely grated (about 2 cups), divided
12 5"–6" corn tortillas
¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
Finely chopped onion, cooked rice, refried beans, and lime wedges (for serving)

PREPARATION

Filling

1. Bring chicken thighs, onion, celery, salt, and 5 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Reduce heat and simmer very gently until chicken is cooked through, 12–15 minutes from the time water starts simmering.
2. Transfer chicken to a medium bowl; let cool. Strain broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup (you should have 4½ cups); discard solids.

Mole and Assembly

1. Toast chiles in a dry small skillet over medium-low heat until pliable and slightly puffed with a few lighter-colored blisters, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a blender, add raisins and 2 cups broth, and tamp down chiles to submerge. Let sit until softened, about 20 minutes.
2. Add mole paste, bouillon paste, peanut butter, and sugar to blender and purée until smooth.
3. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a clean large pot over medium. Pour chile paste into pan (stand back, mixture will spatter!) and cook, stirring and scraping bottom of pot constantly, until paste is dark, glossy, and the texture of ketchup, 8–10 minutes. Add chocolate and remaining 2½ cups broth; bring to a boil, whisking often. Cook, whisking, until chocolate is melted and sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes; season with salt. Let cool until just warm.
4. Shred chicken in bowl and add half of cheese; toss to combine. Season with salt.
5. Heat remaining ¼ cup oil in a small skillet over medium-high until hot but not smoking. Submerge each tortilla in oil just long enough to soften, 10–20 seconds each (they should be slightly darker with small blisters). Transfer to paper towels to drain.
6. Preheat oven to 400°. Spread 1 cup mole in a 13x9" baking dish. Dip a tortilla in mole in pot, lightly scraping against rim to remove excess. Fill with ¼ cup chicken mixture, roll up tightly, and place seam side down in baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas (they can be tightly packed into dish). Pour remaining mole over tortillas; sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake until cheese is melted and filling is warmed through, 8–10 minutes.
7. Top enchiladas with cilantro and onion and serve with rice, refried beans, and lime wedges for squeezing over.

*Bon appétit 2024 April Publication