Dark Chocolate Mole-Inspired Panini

The Vosges Haut-Chocolat Oaxaca bar is the Exotic Candy Bar with the darkest chocolate and most cacao content of any other. The single origin Tanzanian bittersweet chocolate is 75% cacao and has an earthy, fruity flavor. The dark chocolate stands up well to the two kinds of chillies, both guajillo & pasilla chillies that reinforce the bright, plum skin fruitiness in the bar.

Chocolate was first discovered by westerners when they visited the Aztecs over 500 years ago. The ancient people drank cacao ground together with vanilla, annato, herbs, cornmeal and chillies. The xocatyl was frothed and the foam was sipped numerous times a day. When Cortez, the explorer, and his men first drank the holy beverage, they believed they were being poisoned and were catching fire from the inside. When the Spanish crew brought cacao beans back to Europe, sugar was added to make the drink more palatable. And the rest, as they say, is history.

My many chillies + chocolate creations pay homage to chocolate’s origins. Oaxaca, Mexico is revered as the birthplace of chocolate. They are known for their thick, hot beverage and their wondrous mole sauces. Pairing raisins with the Oaxaca bar in this panini recipe was inspired by the fruits that are an important part of mole recipes. A little sweetness offsets the tannic nature of this incredibly dark chocolate while bringing out its fruity undertones.

Oaxaca Raisin Panini
yields: 1 panino
Ingredients:
2 slices of ciabatta or Italian country bread
1 tsp unsalted butter, softened Vermont butter is our favorite Maldon salt crystals
1 oz. Vosges Oaxaca Bar (3 squares), chopped
6- 8 plump raisins

Heat a panini press. Lightly butter both sides of each slice of bread. Spread chopped chocolate evenly across one slice of bread with the raisins and sandwich the other slice atop. Grill the sandwich in the press until brown and crispy on the outside, about 4 minutes.

Chillies, Nuts, Seeds, Fruits and Savory

Not long ago, I found myself up in the middle of the night and decided that I would make some mole sauce. Mole is not exactly something that you usually “whip up” on a whim but since I had been planning to perfect my recipe, I happened to have all the ingredients in house. After studying many Oaxacan mole recipes, I found a combination of ingredients that I feel balance  the sweetness, savory and spiciness just right. After hours of preparing chillies, nuts, seeds and spices, I found myself devouring a poached chicken breast drenched in Mole Negro at 9 o’clock in the morning.

The word mole stems from the Nahuatl word molli, meaning “mixture” and covers a whole range of sauces. Contrary to popular opinion, mole is not just “chicken in that Mexican chocolate sauce” which admittedly, can be a little off putting. Though chocolate is an ingredient in some moles, it is added to deepen and enhance the flavor of a rather complex sauce and only a mysterious hint remains when served. It’s not a surprise that mole negro is my favorite type of mole.

There are said to be seven classic moles, each distinctly different in ingredients and usually color. They are typically attributed to a few Mexican states, namely Puebla and Oaxaca but in reality, there are infinite varieties derived from these seven found all over Mexico and Oaxaca is probably most closely associated with the mole most of us are familiar – mole negro. The one common denominator in moles? Chilies. Fresh, dried and usually a combination of the two.

According to Rick Bayless, our local Chicago authority of all things Mexican, mole ingredients can be grouped into five distinct classes: Chiles, sour (tomatillos), sweet (dried fruits and sugar), spices, and thickeners (nuts and tortillas).

The ingredients are all roasted, usually on a comal or flat griddle, and then ground into a fine powder or paste. The process can be rather laborious if done by hand, however, I take full advantage of modern technology and break out the food processor. Traditionally, this work was shared by several generations of women in the family for a very celebratory meal, and I love the idea of several generations of women gathered around the kitchen working to produce this special dish.

Since making mole is no easy task, perhaps you might call on your loved ones to spend a day together with you in the kitchen with the promise of a delectable feast to follow.

MOLE NEGRO
Chillies
1 cup sunflower oil or lard
8 dried mulato chillies, stemmed, seeds and membranes removed
6 dried pasilla chillies, stemmed, seeds and membranes removed
5 dried ancho chillies, stemmed, seeds and membranes removed
5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 large yellow onion, peeled, cut into 8 wedges
12 large garlic cloves, unpeeled

Nuts and seeds
½ cup whole almonds, raw
¼ cup pecans, raw
1 tablespoon unsalted roasted peanuts
¼ cup shelled pepitas (pumpkin seeds), raw
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
1 cup vegetable broth

Fruits
¼ cup sunflower oil
2 large ripe dark-skinned plantain, peeled, thickly sliced
¹/³ cup pitted prunes
1 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed, coarsely chopped
1 pound plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
²/³ cup raisins

Savory
5 whole cloves
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
5 whole allspice berries
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon aniseed
1 1-inch piece cinnamon stick,
Ceylon preferable
1 teaspoon dried Mexican Oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon sea salt, fine grade

Chocolate
9 ounces Red Fire Exotic Candy Bar (ancho & chipotle chillies, Ceylon cinnamon dark chocolate), chopped
¼ cup cocoa powder, unsweetened, Dutch style
½ cup chopped piloncillo** or (packed) dark brown sugar
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth, low sodium (if necessary)

CHILI PREPARATION:
After you seed the chillies, your hands may have spicy capsicum oil on them. To rid yourself of the oil, cut a tomato in half and rub your fingers in the center pulp and rinse.

Heat ½ cup sunflower oil or lard in large skillet over medium-high heat. Wipe the chillies clean with a damp cloth. Fry chillies 5–6 at a time until they begin to blister and deepen in color. Press down on the chillies to fry all parts. This should take about 15 seconds per side, be careful not to burn. Using tongs and shaking off excess fat, transfer chillies to a large pot filled with 5 cups broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered until chillies are very soft, about 35 minutes. Reserve any oil remaining on the side to sprinkle on homemade pizza or pasta dishes.

Dry roast onion and garlic cloves in dry, heavy, medium skillet over medium-high heat until they begin to blacken, blister and soften, turning often, about 10 minutes. Cool slightly. Coarsely chop onion; peel garlic and place in a blender with chillies and broth. Blend until smooth.

Heat remaining ½ cup sunflower oil or lard in same pot over medium heat until almost smoking. Slowly pour chili purée into pot; be careful as the mixture will sputter and bubble vigorously. Stir until purée thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 7 minutes, then remove from heat.

NUTS AND SEEDS:
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add almonds and stir until color deepens, about 1 minute. Add pecans, peanuts and pepitas, stirring and shaking the pan for another minute. Transfer 2 tablespoons sesame seeds to small bowl and reserve for garnish. Place remaining 1 tablespoon sesame seeds in blender with nuts. Add 1 cup vegetable broth and blend until thick purée forms. Add nut-and-seed purée to pot with chili purée. Cook over very low heat for 20 minutes, stirring often.

FRUITS:
Heat ¼ cup sunflower oil in same skillet over high heat. Add plantain and sauté until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain excess oil. Lower heat to medium. Slowly add tomatillos and tomatoes to skillet; sauté until slightly softened, mashing with fork. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until thickened, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Add raisins, prunes and plantains; simmer 10 minutes, stirring often. Cool slightly.

Working in batches, purée tomatillo mixture in blender with 2 cups reserved chicken or vegetable broth. Strain mixture through sieve into chili-nut purée, pressing on solids to extract as much mixture as possible; discard solids in sieve. Continue cooking purée over very low heat for 15 minutes, stirring often.

SAVORY:
Heat cloves in a skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Transfer cloves to spice mill or coffee grinder; add peppercorns, cinnamon, allspice, cumin seeds, aniseed, oregano, thyme, sea salt. Grind finely. Add to blender. Add 1 cup reserved chicken or vegetable broth; blend until smooth. Stir spice mixture into chili-nut-fruit purée. Simmer mole over very low heat 30 minutes to blend flavors while preparing thickeners, stirring often (mole will bubble thickly).

CHOCOLATE:
Add chocolate, cocoa powder and piloncillo** to mole; simmer over low heat 20 minutes, stirring often, scraping bottom of pot and adding more vegetable or chicken broth if necessary by ½ cupfuls if mole is too thick (up to 2 cups more broth may be needed). Season with salt. Continue simmering over low heat until streaks of oil form on mole surface, about 10 minutes longer. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Re-warm over low heat, stirring and adding more broth if desired, before continuing. (Mole can be made 3 days ahead.)

Sear chicken, tofu or protein of choice. Add to hot mole; simmer until protein is heated through, about 10 minutes. Arrange protein slices on platter. Spoon mole over, and garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

**Mexican raw sugar shaped into hard cones. Smaller chunks are sometimes labeled panocha. If neither is available, substitute an equal weight of packed dark brown sugar.

Yum Yum.

Aztec Elixir Couture Cocoa Kissed with Dark Rum

Oh March!  I always think that you have brought Spring. There are the signs of glory; that sunny 70 degree dandy day brings rays of hope only to be followed by 32 degrees and flurries… you vex me so. In Chicago, many of us head outside with trench coats and spring garb with the optimism that we have survived another cold season. We are quickly reminded that we have some weeks, if not months left to wait and we return home with an inner chill and a lump of grumpiness.

The solution? A warm spiked drink will often do the trick.  I don’t often take the time, but when I am able to sit for just a minute and wind down cradling a cup of warm chocolate, my mind and body are fully recharged.  The Aztec Elixir Couture Cocoa is a dark chocolate homage to the ancient Aztecs, touched with ancho and chipotle chillies, Ceylon cinnamon, Madagascar vanilla bean and cornmeal. Try it with a healthy splash of ultra-premium, dark rum.  Antiguan Pyrat Rum is a favorite of mine. Blended and aged on the small island of Anguilla, this rum spends up to 15 years in French and American oak. While the bottles are no longer hand blown, they are hand numbered and adorned with a metal tag around the neck depicts Hotei 布袋, the Buddhist god of contentment and happiness, today associated with bartenders. This rum is meant for slow sipping or pairing along side liquid chocolate as I suggest here. There’s a slight barnyard fragrances though in the glass it acts very much like a Scotch, with a thin viscosity and a strong nose and flavor. On the palate, it has a slightly sweet citrus note with luscious undertones of vanilla, molasses and oak. The potion will surely warm your bones, turn around an attitude and lift your spirits.

Bacon Bar and Chorizo Stuffed Dates with Spicy Oaxaca Red Sauce

This recipe is inspired by a signature dish of likely my favorite restaurant in Chicago, avec. Chef Koren Grieveson is epic and this is the spot I bring all out of town and in town guests to not only experience the food but the creative, easy going vibe. The air pulses with energy, the communal seating promises a chance encounter and the room buzzes with great tunes. It is an absolute must-try. They don’t take reservations and thank God they are open late. I think this is the only late night spot in Chicago where you can eat something other than a burrito. Can anyone tell me why Chicago closes shop so early? avec is open until midnight on weekdays and 1 am on weekends.

The taleggio foccaccia and bacon wrapped chorizo stuffed dates are two of my passions on the menu. I have created my own version of Koren’s dates, by of course, adding chocolate to the dates and in the sauce. The magic of that salty and spicy meat, a touch of sweet chocolate and some acidic tomato is heightened by a roasting process that brings it all together. Spread the flavor and try it out.

Bacon Bar and Chorizo Stuffed Dates with Spicy Oaxaca Red Sauce

yields: 15 stuffed dates & sauce

For bacon bar stuffed dates:
15 medium-sized Medjool dates
2 chorizo sausages, casings removed, raw and spicy
1, 3 oz. Vosges Mo’s Bacon Bar (or 3 segments Couverture Bar, cut into 4 pieces per square)
8 slices Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Bacon
1 batch of Spicy Oaxacan Red Sauce (recipe follows)
cilantro for serving

For Spicy Oaxacan Red Sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium sweet Spanish onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup red wine or sherry to deglaze
1 lb skinned, heirloom tomatoes or canned San Marzano tomatoes
2 oz. Vosges Haut-Chocolat Oaxaca Bar
1/2 dried chipotle chili, reconstituted in water, seeded
1 tbsp olive oil to finish
salt to taste
3 splashes liquid smoke
1 tsp cumin

Cut the dates on one side lengthwise and remove the pits. Break each 3 oz. bacon bar square into 4 pieces. Cut bacon strips in half. Stuff each date with 1 tbsp of chorizo and place a piece of bacon bar in the center of the chorizo. Fold chorizo around chocolate and close date. Wrap each date in half a piece of bacon. Sear bacon-wrapped dates over high heat in an ungreased pan until crispy. Set aside.

Preheat the over to 350 degrees. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in large stock pan. Add onion and garlic with salt and sugar, cooking over medium heat until translucent. Add tomato paste and deglaze pan with sherry; cook until the majority of alcohol is boiled off, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, Oaxaca bar and chipotle chili. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Purée with an immersion blender until smooth. Add cumin, liquid smoke and season to taste with olive oil and salt.

In a deep baking sheet (about 1″ side walls) pour Oaxaca red sauce about half-way up the sheet. Transfer the seared dates to the baking sheet, spacing each about 1 inch apart. Bake the dates in sauce for 25 minutes. Serve in sauce, garnish with cilantro and bacon bar shavings.