Get some guar gum. It's 8 time more powerful to thicken than starch. Use 1/8 the quantity.

dcarch

I would buy some Mole paste in a jar and doctor it up with some extra sugar and more chocolate.
Make the sauce....refrigerate it and day of, brown your chicken pieces in a large fry pan with a lid, add the sauce and simmer about 40 minutes.
Your texture will be lots better than crock pot chicken. use the crock pot to cook the black beans.
Linda C

Well, I've found 3 other recipes online and none of them call for any thickening agents. I'm wondering if I could just take the sauce out of the crockpot and simmer to thicken for about 20 min, which is what I do with my morrocan chicken recipe when I do that in the crockpot.

I'm also thinking now maybe to use this curry sauce I canned up last week, it's a fruit curry, not particularly Indian, and it would probably go with the other dishes mentioned.

I've always wanted to try mole though!

There are so many versions of mole that it is difficult to say whether this is a good recipe or not. However, with chocolate as an ingredient, I'm guessing it is an attempt at Mole Poblano. If so, it is a very poor one.

Because of the chocolate, people often imagine Mole Poblan as something like a hot fudge sundae with chicken instead of ice cream. Of course, it is nothing like that. It is not sweet and chocolate is a minor ingredient. Neither jalapenos nor tomatoes are uses in it. No green chiles. The most important ingredients in Mole Poblano are several mild dried chiles, such as pasillas, anchos and mulatos. Those chiles, softened in hot water and pureed, are the basis of the sauce. There are many spices and other ingredients used in smaller amounts.

So, that recipe is a long way from what I would consider a good mole. But, of course, I may be missing the point.

I would try to post a good recipe for you but I'm running short of time today and you probably find it difficult to assemble the ingredients before Sunday. Instead, I suggest using the pre-made jarred mole following directions on the label. Don't sweeten it or add extra chocolate. It won't be terrific, but it will do.

Jim

Lpink, here's my recipe for mole sauce. It's not difficult...just a bit of fussing but it's very good. If you have extra it freezes beautifully.

MOLE SAUCE

2/3 Cup Whole Almonds
6 Dried Ancho Chiles
4 Dried Pasilla Chiles
1/3 Cup Sesame Seed
1/4 Teaspoon Anise Seed
1 Cinnamon Stick
4 Cloves Garlic, Unpeeled
1/4 Cup Lard (substituting will affect authentic taste)
1 Dry Tortilla (allow fresh to air dry overnight or put in a low oven for 30 min.)
1/4 Cup Raisins
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
3 Tablespoons Lard
3 Ounces Mexican Chocolate (or, bittersweet will be OK if you can't find Mexican)
3-1/2 Cups Chicken Broth (homemade makes a noticeable difference in this recipe)

Instructions:

1.) Toast almonds in a 300 degree oven for 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2.) Wash chiles and remove stems and seeds. Open the chiles flat and place into a saucepan. Weight them down with a plate and cover with water. Bring to a boil and allow to cook 5 minutes over medium heat. Set aside to cool (do not drain yet).
3.) In an ungreased skillet, toast the sesame seed over medium heat, tossing frequently, until golden brown (about 3 minutes). Remove from pan. In the same skillet, toast the anise seed, cinnamon stick, and unpeeled garlic. Set aside to cool. When cool, peel the garlic. In a blender, finely grind the cinnamon stick, anise, and sesame seed.
4.) In a heavy frying pan, heat the 1/4 cup lard over medium heat and fry the tortilla until crisp and golden. Fry the raisins briefly in the same skillet in the lard to puff them. Break tortilla in pieces into the blender. Blend into find crumbs. Add the cooled, toasted almonds, and blend until fine. Remove the mixture and set aside.
5.) Place in the blender the raisins, the sesame seed, cinnamon, and anise mixture, and add the toasted peeled garlic cloves. Add coriander and cloves. Drain the cooled chilies reserving the liquid. Add to the blender 1 cup of chili liquid and the chilis. Blend to an even consistency. Add the almond-tortilla mixture and 1/2 cup of the chicken broth. Blend again.
6.) In a large pot, melt the 3 tablespoons of lard. Add the chili mixture and fry 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Break the chocolate into pieces and add to the chili puree, lower the heat and cook 10 minutes to melt the chocolate, stirring constantly. Slowly stir in the remaining chicken stock, bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. If necessary, add small amounts of either broth or chili liquid to achieve the desired consistency.

Tips: Blend thoroughly each step being sure to make a fine blend. You can stop after the frying of the paste (before adding the chix broth) & freeze just as a paste or add the broth, complete the sauce, & freeze as a finished product. Equally good results.

/tricia

I forgot you'd asked about thickeners...

The mole is thickened by the tortilla, ground nuts, & seeds.

Sounds like a great meal.

/t

I have looked at the canned/jarred mole sauces in the stores, and I can't find any good ones, I think I looked once and they all had MSG or something similarly weird.

Tricia thank you so much for posting your mole sauce recipe. I actually have it saved from another post! I just don't have access to good dried chilis around here, at least easy access. So interesting that the sauce is made from dried red chilis then, no tomatoes! But I do like the taste of cinnamon and tomatoes, very greek or N. African. I dunno about adding chocolate though.

I'm starting to rethink this. Maybe better to save for a time when I can get a hold of some good dried chilis.

Lpink,

If you decide to make the mole please include the chocolate, at least the first time. It adds authenticity to the flavor but also deepens the color of the sauce to that almost burnished shade. IMO only, of course, this sauce needs both the bit of unsweetened chocolate, the lard, & homemade broth. The boxed broth is too weak, IMO. When making mole, I roast the bones & aromatics before simmering.

I have to purchase the dried chilis at WF. My regular grocery store doesn't have them either.

/tricia

I have a jar of Dona Anna commercial mole paste, no MSG...and while it will; mean buying something besides chicken to make the dinner, it will be easier and cheaper in the long run than buying all the ingredients to make the mole.....although I am sure not as good.
Mole sauce is sort of sweet.....due to the raisins....some sauces sweeter than others.
Have you ever had a chicken mole in a good Mexican restaurant? Perhaps you don't like mole?
If you make what you originally posted in the crock pot, it will be a tomato sludge with chicken fat on top, and very hot. I would make the sauce separatly taste it and add the canned jalapenos to taste, and then brown a chicken, add the sauce and cook until done....perhaps 35 to 40 minutes.

My gut reaction was to keep it simple. Not everybody will appreciate the unusual combination of flavors that make mole sauce so unique. I would make the first meal a simple high heat roast chicken with great sides and an apple pie for dessert. Not only would the main dish be easier for you to prepare, but roasted chicken to me equals a homecooked Sunday supper.

Simplify your life!

Yes I have had mole posole in a restaurant and I like it a lot. And Linda, I don't have the crockpot issues you do. Your "sludge" description might be my "yummy sauce" description. I don't leave the crockpot on for hours and hours when I cook chicken in it, and I brown the chicken first, like all meats. I have a tiny kitchen and a wonky stove so using the crockpot is a way for me to free up some burner space. I don't have a Whole Foods in my community unfortunately, although I actually might be passing by one today on a trip to Philly this weekend. Maybe I can find both the peppers and a good quality canned mole sauce. There are Mexican groceries in the Lehigh Valley, but they are a drive and not on my regular routes. Not even sure if the ones near me have much in the way of variety of dried peppers. I am off to one of the markets today to see if I can find any type of dried red peppers. I can get fresh red jalepenos and hot fresh red chili peppers, but that's it that I have seen so far. I would also like to get some achiote which I have not seen plain.

Jo, great minds think alike, apple pie WAS going to be my dessert!

Tricia's recipe and instructions are excellent. They will give you a fine mole. As you can see, it's not difficult, but neither is it simple. That is about as simple, in terms of number of ingredients and number of step, as a mole gets. It's worth the work.

If you want something simpler, yet tasty and authentic, I suggest chilaquiles

CHILAQUILES EN SALSA VERDE (for 1 serving)

3 small stale corn tortillas cut into pieces
1 cup Salsa de Tomate Verde Cocida (purchased ready made or made according to recipe which follows)
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons crumbled farmer cheese or grated mild Cheddar
An individual flameproof serving dish
1/3 cup cooked, shredded chicken, warmed

A small frying pan
Cooking oil (1/4 inch deep)
paper toweling
A saucepan

Heat the oil and fry the tortilla pieces lightly -- do not let them become too crisp. Remove from the oil and drain.

Heat the sauce, and when it is bubbling add the tortilla pieces and cook them for about 3 minutes.

Pour the chilaquiles (the sauce coated tortilla pieces) into the serving dish, cover with shredded chicken, and sprinkle with the sour cream and cheese. Pass under a hot broiler for a moment or two until the cheese melts, then serve.

SALSA DE TOMATE VERDE COCIDA (cooked green sauce)

A blender
2 cups canned tomates verdes (tomatillos), drained or poached fresh tomatillos
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
1/4 medium onion, chopped
2 or 3 fresh chiles serranos (or jalapenos), softened and charred on a warm pan
1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
A small frying pan
2 tablespoons cooking oil

Blend the ingredients together until smooth.

Heat the oil and cook the sauce for about 5 minutes, until it has thickened a little and is well seasoned.

From The Cuisines of Mexico by Diana Kennedy with minor editing.

Jim

BTW, green chilaquiles can be made vegetarian by omitting the chicken and increasing the cheese. I like them that way.

Jim

Thanks Jim! I can get fresh tomatillos and serrano chiles at the produce market, at least some of the time.

Tricia I'm sure your mole is the bomb, and I'll bet it's the rich chicken broth that is the secret!! Also lard probably adds incredible richness. I might have to seek some out, for pies too. I could keep it in the freezer. There's nothing like lard for pie crust!

I think the mole is going on hold until I can get a hold of some dried chiles. Worse comes to worse I can maybe get some of the ingredients when the Philly contingent meets at the Reading Terminal Market later this month.

When you shop for dried chiles for mole, keep in mind that you want the large mild ones such as anchos, pasillas or mulatos. They usually are dark red or black. When reconstituted, their pulp makes up a major part of the mole. Despite the high chiile content, the pungency of mole is just a mellow glow.

Don't get the small hot ones such as guajillos, chipotles or chiles de arbol. Those are usually red or brown. They would make the mole much hotter than it is supposed to be.

Jim

I looked at Whole Foods in Montgomery County PA for dried chiles or jarred/canned mole and didn't find any. I think I'll have more luck at some local markets in a Mexican/Puerto Rican neighborhood locally, or the Reading Terminal Market. That's going to take a special trip so it may be a while before I find some. I have always been on the lookout but haven't seen any in my regular haunts. I suppose worse comes to worse I could order them online but I'd like to seek out a local source first. Also maybe then I can get some Mexican chocolate.

Really I guess I was looking more or less for a mole-type sauce, lol! One that can be made from things a total northern gringo can find at the local market. I have the same problem when I try to make authentic Indian food! I can find a lot of the dry or canned ingredients at my local Wegman's, but not the fresh stuff.

"I think I'll have more luck at some local markets in a Mexican/Puerto Rican neighborhood..."

No doubt about it.

Jim

Oh, I'm disappointed your WF didn't have dried chilis. :( I shop in RI. When I first moved to NE I had care packages sent from home so I could make Mexican food. There were basically no Mexican restaurants & we were in serious withdrawal. Eventually, after a few Mexican places opened I started buying dried corn husks for tamales from them. I had to buy the husks in huge bags so we'd invite friends & have tamale-making parties making hundreds at a time & dividing them between us. Whoever did the tying got extra because they'd have bloody fingers from the thin strips of husks. :)

Should you ever give mole a try I want it to be a good experience so I'd like to stress again to blend very well until the ingredients are extremely fine. You can't over blend. Under blended would result in a gritty mole from the seeds & nuts...not good eats. Once you've added the chicken broth it's too late. You have to get an ultra-fine paste. It won't ever smooth out well enough once that liquid's added. Don't ask me how I learned that lesson! :)

I hope you'll have better luck with ingredients on your Philly market trip.

/tricia