Food & Wine USA - (11)November 2018

48 NOVEMBER 2018

HANDBOOK

Claro’s Turkey Mole Chef T.J. Steele’s mole

rojo elevates anksgiving leftovers.

ON THANKSGIVING DAY 13 YEARS AGO, chef T.J. Steele—a

Union Square Cafe alum and co-founder of the mezcal

brand El Buho—was driving from Mexico City to Oaxaca

when he stopped in Puebla for a bite. he rest stop res-

taurant only served turkey, and Steele had a particularly

memorable turkey mole. “I totally fell in love with it,” he

says. A thick, smooth sauce typically spooned over meat,

mole is made of nuts, chiles, and spices. he menu at Claro,

Steele’s Oaxacan restaurant, changes seasonally, but the

mole remains consistent—and it’s the ultimate accompani-

ment to hanksgiving leftovers. NINA FRIEND

RECIPE FROM

CLARO

BROOKLYN

MOST WANTED

Turkey Mole Rojo

ACTIVE 2 HR 50 MIN; TOTAL 8 HR 40 MIN

SERVES 8

Toasting the chiles and spices for mole

can be laborious, and traditional methods

call for hours of stirring over low heat. For-

tunately, chef Steele has a suggestion for

easy, foolproof mole: Simmer it in a slow

cooker, which will prevent scorching.

7 oz. dried ancho chiles, stemmed

and seeded

2 oz. dried guajillo chiles, stemmed

and seeded

31 / 4 qt. warm water

8 black peppercorns

5 whole cloves

1 (1-inch) canela cinnamon stick

1 garlic head, cloves separated

1 medium-size yellow onion, halved

3 Tbsp. coconut oil, divided

1 /^3 cup raisins

1 / 4 tsp. fresh oregano leaves

2 thyme sprigs

1 / 2 cup toasted whole pecans

1 / 3 cup toasted whole almonds

1 (15-oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes

3 / 4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame

seeds, plus more for garnish

11 / 2 tsp. light brown sugar, plus more

to taste

1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste

4 cups turkey or chicken broth

3 lb. leftover roasted turkey, warmed

1. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over
   medium-low. Working in batches, arrange
   ancho and guajillo chiles in a single layer

in skillet; cook, turning once, until lightly

toasted, about 30 seconds per batch.

Transfer to a large bowl; add 3^1 / 4 quart

warm water, and let stand until chiles are

soft and pliable, about 30 minutes. Drain

chiles, reserving 5 cups soaking water.

2. Add peppercorns, cloves, and cinna-
   mon to skillet; toast over medium-low,
   stirring constantly, until aromatic, about
   30 seconds. Transfer mixture to a plate.


3. Add garlic and onion halves to skillet.
   Increase heat to medium-high; cook, turn-
   ing garlic often, until cloves are tender
   and charred, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer
   garlic to plate with spice mixture. Con-
   tinue cooking onion, turning once, until
   tender and charred, about 5 more min-
   utes. Transfer to plate with spice mixture
   and garlic. Peel garlic cloves; discard skins.


4. Melt 1 tablespoon coconut oil in skillet;
   add raisins, and cook, stirring constantly,
   until raisins puff up, about 40 seconds. Stir
   in oregano and thyme; remove from heat.


5. Working in batches, process soaked
   chiles, spice mixture, garlic, onion, raisin
   mixture, pecans, almonds, tomatoes with
   juices, sesame seeds, and 4 cups
   reserved soaking water in a high-speed
   blender, scraping down sides of blender
   as necessary to loosen mixture, until mix-
   ture is the texture of a thick and coarse
   tomato sauce, about 1 minute and 15 sec-
   onds per batch. Add splashes of reserved
   soaking liquid as needed to reach desired
   texture. Pour mixture through a wire-mesh
   strainer into a large bowl; discard solids.


6. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons coconut
   oil in a 12-inch high-sided skillet over
   medium. Carefully pour in strained mole
   mixture. (It will splatter.) Cook, stirring
   often, until warmed through, 7 to 10 min-
   utes. Transfer mole mixture to a large
   slow cooker. Cook, uncovered, on high,
   stirring every 30 minutes, until mixture
   resembles consistency of wet sand, 6
   hours and 30 minutes to 7 hours. Remove
   from heat; stir in brown sugar and salt.


7. Place turkey broth in a saucepan. Bring
   to a boil over high; whisk in 2 cups of the
   mole mixture. Reduce heat to low; sim-
   mer, stirring occasionally, until slightly
   thickened, 20 to 25 minutes. Season to
   taste with brown sugar and salt. Serve
   mole sauce over warmed leftover turkey,
   and garnish with sesame seeds.
   MAKE AHEAD Prepare mole mixture
   through step 6; store prepared mole
   mixture, covered, in refrigerator up to 1
   week or in freezer up to 3 months.
   WINE Fruity Primitivo blend from Italy:
   2014 Tormaresca Neprica