Ingredients:

The Chiles:
• 4 Medium (about 2 ounces total) dried Chiles Anchos, stemmed, seeded and deveined
• 2 Medium (about 1 ounce total) dried Chiles Mulatos, stemmed, seeded and deveined
• 1 Medium (about 1/3 ounce total) dried Chile Pasilla, stemmed, seeded and deveined

The nuts, seeds, flavorings and thickeners:
• 1 1/2 Tbs. sesame seeds, plus extra for garnish
• About 1/3 cup lard or vegetable oil
• 2 heaping Tbs. (about 1 ounce) unskinned peanuts
• 2 Tbs. raisins
• 1/4 medium onion, thickly sliced
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1/3 ripe, small plantain, peeled and diced (substitute small banana if necessary)
• 1/2 corn tortilla, stale or dried-out
• 1 slice firm white bread, stale or dried-out
• 1 ripe, medium-small tomato, roasted or boiled, cored, peeled and roughly chopped
• OR:
• 1/2 15-ounce can tomatoes, well drained and roughly chopped
• 4 ounces (about 3 medium) Tomatillos, husked, washed and simmered until tender
• OR:
• 1/2 13-ounce can Tomatillos, drained

The herbs and spices:
• 1/4 of a 3.3 ounce tablet (about 3/4 ounce) Mexican chocolate (such as Ibarra), chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 peppercorns (or about 1/8 t. ground)
• 3 cloves (or a scant 1/8 t. ground)
• 1 inch cinnamon stick (Mexican Canela bark if available; 1 t. ground is fine)

The meat:
• 1 medium (3 1/2 pound) chicken, quartered

To finish the dish:
• About 5 cups of chicken broth
• Salt, about 1 t. (depending on the saltiness of the broth)
• Sugar, about 1 T.

Procedures:

The set-up:
Organize the ingredients as follows: stem, seed and carefully devein the dried chiles; tear the chiles into flat pieces. Make measured mounds of the sesame seeds, peanuts, raisins and onion. Lay out the garlic, tortilla and bread. Place the tomato in a large bowl and break it up, then add the chopped chocolate, tomatillos, oregano and thyme to it. Pulverize the remaining spices (bay leaf, peppercorns, cloves and cinnamon) using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, then add to the tomato-chocolate mixture. Have the lard or oil and broth at ready access.

Toasting the sesame seeds:
Scoop the sesame seeds into a medium-size skillet over medium heat, and stir until they turn golden brown. Be careful not to over cook. Scrape into the bowl with the tomato.

Frying and reconstituting the chiles:
Turn on the exhause fan to suck up the pungent fumes. Measure 3 Tbl. of the lard or oil into the skillet and, when hot, fry the chile pieces a few at a time for several seconds per side, until they develop a nut-brown color. Remove them to a large bowl, draining as much fat as possible back into the skillet. Cover the chiles with boiling water, weight with a plate to keep them submerged, soak at least 1 hour, then drain.

The frying continues:
Return the skillet to the heat. (If there isn't much fat--or if you run low in the following frying steps--add a little more, but drain everything well or the mole will be greasy). Heat the remaining 1/4 cup of lard or oil in the skillet, add the peanuts and stir frequently until browned through, about 2-3 minutes. Remove, draining well, then add to the tomato mixture in the bowl. Fry the raisins for a minute or so, stirring constantly as they puff and brown. Remove, draining well, then add to the tomato mixture in the bowl. Cook the onion and garlic, stirring frequently, until well browned, 8-9 minutes. Press on them to rid them of the fat, and remove to the mixing bowl with the tomatoes. Fry the tortilla and bread, then the plantain until golden brown.

Pureeing the mixture:
Stir the mixture well, then scoop half into a blender jar, add 1/2 cup of the broth and blend until smooth, adding a little more broth if the mixture won't move through the blender blades. Strain through a medium-mesh sieve. Puree the remainder with another 1/ 2 cup of broth and strain.

Pureeing the chiles:
Puree the chiles in 2 batches in the blender, adding 1/4 cup of broth to each one (plus a little extra if needed to keep the mixture moving through the blades); strain through the sieve into a separate bowl.

Browning the chicken:
Heat 1 1/2 Tbls. of the lard or oil in a large (8-quart) kettle over medium-high heat. Dry the chicken pieces, then brown them in hot fat, about 3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.

Frying and simmering the sauce:
Pour off the excess fat from the kettle, leaving a light coating on the bottom. Return to the heat for a minute, then add the chile puree and stir constantly until darkened and thick, about 5 minutes. Add the other bowlful of puree and stir several minutes longer, until the mixture thickens once again. Mix in 2 1/2 cups of broth, partially cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Finally, season with salt and sugar and, if the sauce is thicker than heavy cream, then thin it with a little broth.

Simmering the chicken:
Just before serving, bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat, add the dark-meat quarters and cook 10 minutes, partially covered. Add the breast pieces and cook about 14 minutes longer, until tender.

Presentation:
Remove the meat from the sauce and arrange on a warm, deep serving platter. Skim off any fat that is floating on the top, then pour the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle on some sesame seeds and serve.

Yield: 4 servings, with 4 1/2 to 5 cups of sauce