Chicken in mole sauce

Ingredients:

Sauce

• 3 guajillo peppers (optional)
• 3 ancho peppers
• 2 large tomatoes, cores removed
• Half a medium onion, peeled and cut into wedges
• 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 1.5 cups lightly salted chicken broth
• 100 g Mexican chocolate, chopped
• 2 tbsp whole almonds, toasted
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
• 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• A pinch of ground cloves
• 1 slice of stale white bread
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
• 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 poached chicken, cut into 4 pieces (see recipe below)
• Toasted sesame seeds, for sprinkling
• For serving: hot boiled rice (optional)

Poached chicken for mole

• 1 small onion, cut in half
• 1 chicken weighing 1.3 - 1.8 kg, cut into 4 pieces, trim off the fat
• 4 cups lightly salted chicken broth

Preparation:

1. Halve the chili peppers and remove the stems and seeds. Toast them in a medium dry frying pan over medium heat, turning and flattening with a spatula, until fragrant, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer the chili peppers to a bowl, cover with very hot water, and set aside until soft and pliable, about 30 minutes, then drain.
2. Position a rack on the highest shelf of the oven and preheat the oven to broil. Place the tomatoes, onion, and garlic on a foil-lined baking sheet. Grill the vegetables until the skins are charred and the garlic is soft, turning as needed, about 8 minutes for the tomatoes and onions and 3 minutes for the garlic. Let the vegetables cool, then squeeze the garlic out of its skins and place it in a blender along with the plump chiles, tomatoes, onion, 3/4 cup chicken broth, chocolate, almonds, oregano, cinnamon, cloves, bread, and chipotle adobo sauce. Blend until smooth.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Carefully add the mole sauce and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining chicken broth. The mole sauce can be made up to this point a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
4. Add the chicken to the sauce and simmer over low heat until heated through, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve with rice, if desired.
5. Poached chicken for mole:
   
   Place the onion and chicken in a medium saucepan. Pour in the broth and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover. Simmer gently until the chicken is firm to the touch, about 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, uncover, and let the chicken rest in the broth for about 30 minutes.
6. Transfer the chicken to a large platter or bowl to cool completely, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Strain the broth and store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for later use. Skim off any fat from the surface of the broth before using.