What is Mole?
The term Mole comes from a Nahutl word meaning "sauce" - mōlli. Prepared throughout the regions of Oaxaca and Puebla in Mexico, the sauce has complex and layered flavours coming from a blend of dried chiles, spices, fruits, and other seasonings. Some have as many as 30 different ingredients. There are literally hundreds of variations of family Mole recipes but the main component is always the "Holy Trinity" of Chiles - Ancho along with Pasilla and Guajillo. The most famous of Oaxaca’s mole sauces is Mole Negro, a Mole Poblano dish that also uses chocolate.
Mayan Mole Rub is our modest homage to the Mole Negro sauce and my favourite way to use it is in Mole Chicken Fajitas. The rub is not really spicy but adds a delicious flavour of chipotle chile and a level of richness from the cocoa. Our Mole Chicken Fajita recipe follows the preparation pictures and following the recipe are a few other ways to use this versatile rub. Mayan Mole Rub is available year round in our Dundas shop.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 kg (2 lbs) skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs
1/4 cup of olive oil, or other type (for sauteing)
3 TBSP of Mayan Mole Rub
2 -3 Bell Peppers
Salt to taste.
Fajita shells and toppings of your choice including: Cheddar Cheese, Shredded Lettuce, Guacamole, Sour Cream, Tomatoes or Salsa.
Mix oil with mole rub in a small bowl and set aside.
Cut chicken into strips and set aside.
Slice peppers into strips and set aside.
Place chicken strips into a large flat glass bowl like a pie plate or lasagna pan.
Pour the oil and mole rub blend over the chicken and mix thoroughly until all of the chicken is coated on all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for an hour or two. You can use the chicken right away, but the flavours are much better once they have had the chance to marinate.
When the chicken has marinated, heat a bit of oil in a large frying pan over medium high and saute the peppers until you start to see some nice browning on them. Remove from the pan and set aside.
In the same pan, add the marinated chicken and cook for 8 -10 minutes or until cooked all the way through. Stir carefully as they saute so that you dont break apart the chicken slices too much. The chicken will look very dark and you will start to see it browning up a bit. It's very important to check inside one or two of the larger pieces of chicken to make sure it is thoroughly cooked. Add salt to taste.
Serve with your favourite fajita toppings! ¡Buen provecho!
Here are a few other ways to use our Mayan Mole Rub:
- add to melted butter and brush over Fish Fillets.
- add a few tablespoons to a pot of Chili con Carne.
- add to melted butter and drizzle over freshly popped corn.
- use as a rub for Pork Ribs.
- add a couple of tablespoons to your favourite Meat Loaf recipe.
- add to cooked ground beef for Taco night!
Lori Eisenberger, Chocolatier