Mole Amarillo con Pollo

Mole Amarillo is the workhorse mole of Oaxaca, the everyday sauce that Zapotec and Mixtec communities have prepared for centuries in clay pots over wood fires. Less famous than mole negro but arguably more complex in its vegetable architecture, it achieves its characteristic golden hue from a blend of yellow and mulato chilies, tomatillos, and hoja santa — the anise-scented herb that grows wild across the Mexican highlands. It is traditionally served at baptisms, weddings, and Día de los Muertos feasts.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

Chicken

• 1 whole chicken, about 1.8 kg (4 lb), cut into 8 pieces
• 1 white onion, quartered
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp (10g) salt

Mole

• 4 chilhuacle amarillo or guajillo chilies, stems and seeds removed
• 2 mulato or ancho chilies, stems and seeds removed
• 500g (1 lb) tomatillos, husked
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 1 white onion, roughly chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 2 large fresh hoja santa leaves (or 1 tsp anise seed as substitute)
• 2 tbsp (30ml) vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp (24g) masa harina (corn flour), dissolved in 100ml cold water
• Salt to taste
• 500ml (2 cups) reserved chicken broth

Instructions

1. Poach chicken: Place chicken pieces in a pot with onion, garlic, salt, and 2 litres (8 cups) water. Bring to a boil, skim foam, then simmer 35-40 minutes until cooked through. Remove chicken; strain and reserve broth.
2. Toast chilies: Heat a dry comal or skillet over medium heat. Toast dried chilies 30-45 seconds per side until fragrant and softened — do not burn. Soak in hot water 20 minutes; drain.
3. Char vegetables: On the same comal, char tomatillos, tomatoes, onion, and unpeeled garlic over medium-high heat, turning, until blackened in spots (8-12 minutes). Peel garlic.
4. Blend: In batches, blend soaked chilies with charred vegetables, hoja santa, and 200ml (¾ cup) chicken broth until very smooth. Pass through a medium-mesh sieve for a silkier texture.
5. Fry the mole: Heat oil in a large, deep pot over high heat until smoking. Pour in blended mole — it will splatter and sizzle dramatically. Stir and fry 5 minutes, reducing heat to medium, until mole darkens and thickens.
6. Thin and simmer: Add remaining chicken broth and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in masa harina slurry; simmer 20-25 minutes until mole coats a spoon and loses any raw flavour. Season generously with salt.
7. Add poached chicken pieces to the mole and heat through 10 minutes. Serve with black beans, white rice, and warm tortillas.

Cook's Notes: Chilehuacle amarillo chilies are available at Mexican grocers and online — they are irreplaceable for the true colour and flavour. The mole can be made 3 days ahead or frozen for a month; fry it again briefly when reheating to revive the flavour. Hoja santa is increasingly available frozen at Latin markets.