Guajillo and Mixed Nut Mole with Roasted Chicken

Mole is one of those sauces that looks impossible from the outside and turns out to be a long series of small, achievable steps that all add up to something astonishing. This version leans on guajillos for fruity warmth and mixed nuts for body and richness, finished with a whisper of dark chocolate and cinnamon. Layered under a nut-crusted roast chicken breast and a pile of garlicky kale, it's a plate that looks every bit as considered as it tastes.

How to cook

Mole is a project, but it's also a sauce that rewards patience in ways few others do. The single most important principle is this: every component gets toasted, charred, or fried before it ever meets the blender. That's where the depth comes from. Don't skip any of the toasting steps and don't rush them.

Start with the chicken, because it needs to temper. Pat the breasts dry and rub them all over with olive oil (2 tablespoons), ground cumin (1 teaspoon), smoked paprika (1 teaspoon), dried oregano (1 teaspoon), and plenty of salt and pepper. Mexican oregano is brighter and more citrusy than Mediterranean oregano and worth seeking out, but regular dried oregano is fine. Leave them on the counter for 30 minutes while you build the mole.

Now the chillies. Stem and seed the guajillos (6) and anchos (2) — use scissors and shake the seeds out into the bin. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat, and press the chillies flat against the pan for 15-20 seconds per side until they puff slightly and smell deeply fragrant, almost like raisins and cocoa. Watch them like a hawk — burnt chillies turn bitter and will ruin the whole sauce, so pull them the moment they darken. Transfer to a bowl, cover with hot water, and leave them to rehydrate for 20 minutes while you work on everything else.

In the same dry skillet, toast each nut separately over medium heat: the blanched almonds for 2 minutes until golden, the pecans for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, the peanuts for 2 minutes until just coloured, and the sesame seeds last for 1 minute until they start to jump and smell nutty. Working them separately matters because each nut toasts at a different rate, and burnt nuts will wreck the mole just as fast as burnt chillies. Set everything aside in a bowl — and reserve 40g of the toasted nuts (almonds and pecans work best) for the crust later. Chop those 40g finely on a board.

Next, char the vegetables. Turn the heat to high and add the quartered onion, unpeeled garlic cloves (4), and halved tomatoes to the dry skillet. Let them sit undisturbed for 2-3 minutes at a time, turning occasionally, until they're blackened in spots and softened — about 6-8 minutes total. You want actual char, not just colour. Blackened skins are where the smoky backbone of the mole comes from. Let the garlic cool enough to handle, then squeeze the peeled flesh out of the skins.

Tear the corn tortilla into pieces and toast it in the same pan for 1-2 minutes until lightly charred at the edges. The tortilla acts as a thickener and adds a subtle corn flavour that's very traditional. Toast the whole coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, and cloves together in the same pan for 30 seconds until fragrant — they'll smell warm and spicy instantly.

Drain the chillies but save the soaking liquid in case you need it later. Into a blender, pile the soaked chillies, all the toasted nuts and seeds (minus the 40g reserved for the crust), the charred onion, peeled garlic, charred tomatoes, toasted tortilla pieces, whole toasted spices, dark chocolate (15g), brown sugar (1 tablespoon), and 300ml of the warm chicken stock. Blend on high for a full 2 minutes — and really do a full 2 minutes, because the blade needs time to work through the tough chilli skins and the nuts. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides and add more warm stock a few tablespoons at a time if the blender is struggling. The mole should end up thick, completely smooth, and the colour of dark brick.

Now the frying step that separates home mole from proper mole. Heat the neutral oil (2 tablespoons) in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until properly shimmering. Pour the mole in all at once — stand back, it will splutter aggressively — and immediately start stirring. Fry it, stirring constantly, for 5-6 minutes. It will darken a shade, thicken noticeably, and the raw smell of blended spice will vanish. This step is what bloats the aromatics and marries everything into a single deep flavour; without it, mole tastes like a suspension of blended ingredients rather than a cohesive sauce.

Add the remaining chicken stock (400ml), turn the heat down to a gentle simmer, and let it cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the mole is rich, glossy, and coats the back of a spoon. Taste and season with salt. It should be complex — fruity, smoky, subtly sweet, with warm spice and a backbone of earthy chocolate. If it's flat, it needs salt. If it's too thick, loosen with more stock or some of the reserved chilli soaking liquid. If it's too sharp, a pinch more sugar. Keep it warm while you finish everything else.

For the chicken, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Mix the finely chopped reserved nuts (40g) with the panko (2 tablespoons), melted butter (2 tablespoons), a pinch of salt, and a grind of pepper in a small bowl. It should hold together in loose clumps when you squeeze it.

Heat a large skillet with a splash of oil over medium-high heat. Lay the chicken breasts in skin-side down and leave them completely alone for 5-6 minutes until the skin is deeply golden and crisp. Flip briefly to colour the other side for 1 minute, then transfer the breasts skin-side up to a baking dish — don't put the skillet in the oven unless you know it's oven-safe. Brush the top of each breast with a light swipe of Dijon mustard (the mustard acts as glue for the crust) and press the nut-panko mixture firmly on top in an even layer. Toss the spring onions or cipollini in a little olive oil and salt, and tuck them into the dish alongside.

Roast for 22-28 minutes until the thickest part of the breast reads 63°C (145°F) on a kitchen thermometer. This is the key — use a thermometer. Chicken breast goes from juicy to dry in a 5°C window, and guessing is how good chicken becomes sad chicken. Transfer to a board and rest for 10 full minutes; carryover cooking will take it to 68°C (155°F), which is exactly where you want it.

While the chicken rests, the kale. Heat olive oil (1 tablespoon) in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced garlic (2 cloves) and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant but not coloured. Add the torn kale (400g) in two batches if needed, season with salt, and toss with tongs until just wilted and bright green, about 3-4 minutes. Finish with a squeeze of lime juice — the acid cuts through the richness of the mole and keeps the greens tasting alive, not tired.

Bonus points

• Make the mole a day ahead: Mole only gets better with a night in the fridge — the flavours settle and deepen into something more cohesive. Warm gently before serving, loosening with a little stock if it's tightened up.
• Toast whole spices on the stove, then grind fresh: Instead of using pre-ground cumin for the chicken rub, toast whole cumin seeds in a dry pan for 30 seconds and grind them in a mortar. The difference in aroma is genuinely significant.
• Add a smoked chilli: Swap one of the guajillos for a morita (smoked jalapeño) or a chipotle for a hit of real smoke. Don't overdo it — one is plenty, and more will bury the fruitier guajillo notes.
• Crisp the chicken skin separately: If you want restaurant-level crispness, lift the skin off the breast, weight it flat between two sheet trays lined with parchment, and bake at 190°C for 15 minutes until shatter-crisp. Stand a shard on each plate as a garnish.
• Pickled red onion garnish: Thinly slice red onion and quick- pickle in lime juice with a pinch of salt and sugar for 15 minutes. A few rings on top of the crust add colour and a welcome acidic lift.
• Toasted pepitas: Scatter a few toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) over the finished plate. They add another layer of nutty crunch that ties into the crust and the mole.
• Finish with a drizzle of Mexican crema: A thin stream of crema or thinned crème fraîche around the mole pool looks beautiful and the fresh dairy cuts through the richness.

Serving

This is a dish that rewards composed plating because the mole is the visual star. Warm your bowls or shallow plates first — cold plates will set the mole into a matte pool instantly. Ladle a generous spoonful of warm mole into the centre of each plate and swirl it out with the back of the ladle into a wide, glossy puddle.

Pile the wilted kale in the centre of the mole, leaving the dark sauce visible around the edges. Place the nut-crusted chicken breast on top of the kale, skin-and-crust side up so the topping is on show, and lean a charred spring onion or cipollini against the side of the chicken at a slight angle. The whole composition should feel deliberate without looking fussy.

For something a little more generous, serve warm corn tortillas on the side — mole is genuinely at its best when you can scoop the last of it up with a tortilla, and it turns the dish into a full meal. A simple bowl of Mexican red rice alongside is another classic partner if you're feeding a hungry table.

For wine, reach for something with a bit of fruit and body that can stand up to the spice — a Grenache, a ripe Pinot Noir, or a medium-bodied Syrah all work. If you'd rather go the beer route, a Mexican amber lager (Negra Modelo) is the classic match and bridges the sweet-smoky notes of the mole perfectly. A mezcal cocktail with lime and grapefruit is the unexpected move that ties the whole meal together.