With Super Bowl Sunday around the corner (Feb 3, 2013 to be precise), I cannot in all good conscience leave you without these delicious chicken bites - ancho chile, cumin and citrus marinated chicken strips served with a creamy chocolate & chipotle chile Mole sauce.
Mole is pronounced mo-lay btw and has nothing to do with tiny furry animals.
This quintessential American phenomenon called Super Bowl is THE biggest game in American sports and will have over 163 million American rooted to their couches in front of their ginormous teles for the better part of Sunday night. That number just happens to be more than half this country's population!
Super Bowl Sunday is as much about the food, the booze, the commercials as it is about the game.
For those outside the U.S, who feel the need to be educated will find all their burning questions answered here - 2013 Super Bowl - Super Bowl XLVII - NFL.com
It just so happens that my attempt to get Thursday night dinner on the table this week throwing some chicken thighs together resulted in a major 'aha moment'.
Using staple Mexican spices to create a dry rub for the chicken and adding lime and orange for zest, resulted in mouthwatering, flavor infused chicken bites. A chocolatey Mole sauce seemed to be the perfect way to counterbalance the heat with a sweet and luscious dipping sauce.
I know this recipes comes just in the nick of time but some things are just better late than never!
Gather the ingredients:10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Dry Rub: 1 tbs Ancho chile powder, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp salt
Wet marinade: 1 tbs olive oil for marinade, Juice of 1 lime, Juice and zest of 1 orange
Also, 2-3 tbs olive oil for roasting chicken
Mole Sauce: 1 medium yellow onion, 1 plum tomato, 1-2 chipotle chile in adobo sauce (canned) + 1 tbs adobo sauce, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp cumin seeds, ¼ cup semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips, 1/2 tsp salt, ½ tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp black ground pepper, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1-2 tbs olive oil & 1/3 cup water
Preheat the oven at broil or the hottest setting in your oven.
Wet Marinade: Juice the lime. Zest and juice the orange and
remove all the juices and zest to a bowl. To this bowl add the olive oil and
combine.
Dry rub: Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Chicken: Discard excess fat and place in a flat baking dish. Add the dry rub and with clean hands massage all over the chicken. Pour the lime and orange juice marinade all over the chicken and marinate for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.
Onions- Peel & discard the skin, tops & root. Dice into chunks.
Tomatoes - Discard woody bit on top and dice.
Chicken: Line a roasting pan with Aluminum foil. Spray with non-stick baking spray. Spread the chicken in a single layer on the pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the chicken and using a pastry brush apply over the chicken.
Roast in the hot oven for 10 minutes, turn over and roast for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
Mole Sauce: Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan on medium heat. Add cumin seeds & diced onions. Saute for about 5-6 minutes till the onions begin to soften and turn a light brown on the edges.
To the sauteed onions add the tomatoes, chocolate chips, ground cinnamon, chipotle chiles, adobo sauce ,salt, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper & water.
Saute for 2 minutes till the chocolate is completely melted. Taste and adjust seasonings. Empty out the contents of the pan into a mini-chopper/blender.
Pulverize the mixture for a few minutes to a smooth paste. Place a bowl under a sieve and empty the contents from the blender into the sieve.
With a spoon keep stirring and pressing down till all the goodness has been extracted from the pulp in the sieve. Discard the pulp.
And what you have is a delicious smooth mole sauce.
To serve, Using a sharp chef's knife, slice the chicken about 1/4" thick at a slight angle.
Plate and serve with the Mole sauce as a dipping sauce and salsa cruda with tortilla chips on the side.
Recipe for
Mexican Style Spicy Chicken Bites with Mole Dipping Sauce
Serves 4
Preparation time - 20 minutes
Marination time: 4 hours – overnight
Roasting time - 25 minutes
Shopping list:10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Dry Rub:
1 tbs Ancho chile powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp salt
Wet marinade:
1 tbs olive oil for marinade
Juice of 1 lime
Juice and zest of 1 orange
~
2-3 tbs olive oil for roasting chicken
Mole Sauce:
1 medium yellow onion
1 plum tomato
1-2 chipotle chile in adobo sauce (canned) + 1 tbs adobo sauce
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp cumin seeds
¼ cup semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 tsp salt
½ tsp sugar
1/4 tsp black ground pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1-2 tbs olive oil
1/2 cup water
Preparation: Preheat the oven at broil or the hottest setting in your oven.
Wet Marinade: Juice the lime. Zest and juice the orange and remove all the juices and zest to a bowl. To this bowl add the olive oil and combine.
Dry rub: Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Chicken: Discard excess fat and place in a flat baking dish. Add the dry rub and with clean hands massage all over the chicken. Pour the lime and orange juice marinade all over the chicken and marinate for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.
Onions- Peel & discard the skin, tops & root. Dice into chunks.
Tomatoes - Discard woody bit on top and dice.
Method:
Chicken: Line a roasting pan with Aluminum foil. Spray with non-stick baking spray. Spread the chicken in a single layer on the pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the chicken and using a pastry brush apply over the chicken.
Roast in the hot oven for 10 minutes, turn over and roast for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
Mole Sauce: Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan on medium heat. Add cumin seeds & diced onions. Saute for about 5-6 minutes till the onions begin to soften and turn a light brown on the edges.
To the onions add the tomatoes, chocolate chips, ground cinnamon, chipotle chiles, adobo sauce ,salt, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper & water.
Saute for 2 minutes till the chocolate is completely melted. Taste and adjust seasonings. Empty out the contents of the pan into a mini-chopper/blender.
Pulverize the mixture for a few minutes to a smooth paste. Place a bowl under a sieve and empty the contents from the blender into the sieve.
With a spoon keep stirring and pressing down till all the goodness has been extracted from the pulp in the sieve. Discard the pulp.
And what you have is a delicious smooth mole sauce.
To serve, Using a sharp chef's knife, slice the chicken about 1/4" thick at a slight angle.
Plate and serve with the Mole sauce as a dipping sauce and salsa cruda with tortilla chips on the side.
Enjoy!
