Chicken Mole

Tonight for dinner I made an authentic Mexican dish - Chicken Mole. It is a recipe that I have always wanted to try out because it uses so many spices and other delicious things (e.g. dark chocolate, almonds and raisins). I am always drawn to flavoursome, casserole-esque recipes and this was right up my street for that reason. I had some long grain rice lurking in the larder that was fast approaching its use-by date (I must mention that I cannot abide waste, especially where food is involved!), so I threw in some peas, broccoli florets, and diced mushrooms, along with a knob of butter, and served that up along side the chicken.

Regrettably, I did not take a photograph of the finished meal (partly because we were pushed for time and partly because I was so keen to see what it tasted like!) but I can think of worse things, because it isn't the most aesthetically pleasing of dishes! Nevertheless, I am thrilled to say that it was absolutely yummy and the method of blending together all the sauce ingredients (including the tomatoes, spices, garlic, onion, ground almonds,  and dark chocolate) made for a really unctuous, rich sauce. I will admit that I was unsure of what the dark chocolate would add to the overall flavour of the dish, but it really does work - it adds a distinguishable nuance that I can't describe, but I could certainly taste it and it was certainly to its advantage. I shall definitely be making this again!