| 1 | *chiles* the day before, slit the chiles open with a knife and remove the seeds and veins, reserving at least ?tablespoon of the seeds. |
| 2 | Heat the shortening and quickly fry the chiles on both sides. |
| 3 | Take care that they do not burn, and be careful how you inhale the fumes, unless you want a seared windpipe. |
| 4 | Put the chiles into a bowl, cover them with water, and leave them to stand overnight. |
| 5 | On serving day: preheat the oven to 325°F. |
| 6 | Cut the chicken into serving pieces. |
| 7 | Set the giblets aside. |
| 8 | Melt 3 tablespoons lard and brown the chicken pieces well. |
| 9 | Drain off the excess fat. |
| 10 | Cover the pan and braise the chicken in the oven, without liquid, until it is tender---40 to 60 minutes, depending on toughness. |
| 11 | Put the giblets into the pan with the rest of the ingredients. |
| 12 | Cover them with water and bring them to a boil. |
| 13 | Lower the flame and simmer for 1-?to 1 ?hours. |
| 14 | Strain the broth and set it aside. |
| 15 | When the chicken is cooked, pour off the juices in the pan and set them aside to cool, then skim off the fat and add them to the giblet broth. |
| 16 | Set it aside. |
| 17 | Blend the chiles with the water until smooth---you may have to do them in two or three lots but try not to add more water. |
| 18 | Melt the shortening, and when it is hot but not smoking, cook the chili puree over a medium flame for about 10 minutes, stirring it all the time. |
| 19 | Keep a lid handy, as it will splatter about. |
| 20 | Set it aside. |
| 21 | Put the tomatillos in a blender or food processor. |
| 22 | Put the spices into a spice grinder and add the toasted, cooled seeds, reserving 2 tablespoons of the sesame seeds for later use. |
| 23 | Grind the spices and seeds finely and transfer them to the blender jar. |
| 24 | Add the toasted garlic to the blender jar. |
| 25 | Melt three tablespoons of shortening in the frying pan and fry the raisins briefly, just until they puff up, and transfer them with a slotted spoon to the blender jar. |
| 26 | In the same pan fry the almonds, stirring them all the time, until they are well browned. |
| 27 | Remove with a slotted spoon and crush them a little before adding them to the blender jar. |
| 28 | In the same pan fry the pumpkin seeds lightly, but have a lid handy, as they pop about explosively. |
| 29 | Remove with a slotted spoon and add to the blender. |
| 30 | In the same pan fry the tortilla until very crisp. |
| 31 | Remove with a slotted spoon and crush it a little before adding it to the blender. |
| 32 | In the same pan fry the bread until crisp, then remove with a slotted spoon and crush. |
| 33 | Add it to the blender jar. |
| 34 | Blend all the ingredients together until they form a smooth paste. |
| 35 | If it is absolutely necessary to add some liquid to blend it effectively, then add a little chicken broth. |
| 36 | Add the blended mixture ot the chile sauce and cook over a brisk flame for about five minutes, stirring the mixture constantly. |
| 37 | Break the chocolate into small pieces and add it to the mixture. |
| 38 | Continue cooking the _mole_ for about 10 minutes more, stirring it all the time so it does not stick. |
| 39 | Add the broth and continue cooking the _mole_ for a minimum of 40 minutes. |
| 40 | Add salt as necessary, then add the chicken pieces and heat them through. |
| 41 | Serve individually, sprinkled with some of the reserved toasted sesame seeds. |
| 42 | The cuisines of mexico diana kennedy |
