Black Bean Refritos: Heat some quality canned refried black beans, with a splash of water over medium low heat. Try to use refritos that are made with vegetable shortening and not lard. Keep the refritos warm over low heat.
Rice: Cook some long grain rice in boiling water. Season the water with a small splash of virgin olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, paprika and cumin. This is a basic Mexican flavored rice. Keep the rice warm.
Yuca Root: Boil a peeled halved yuca root in water over medium high heat. When the yuca becomes tender like a boiled potato, season it with sea salt and black. Add a couple of unsalted butter pats. Keep the yuca warm over low heat.
Stewed Tomatillo Recipe: Slice some tomatillo wedges. Simmer the tomatillos with a little bit of water in a sauce pot over medium heat. Add a little bit of chopped onion, chopped cilantro, sea salt, black pepper and chopped garlic. Simmer the tomatillos till the become stewed and very tender. Keep the stewed tomatillos warm over low heat.
Pollo Mole' Recipe: Take the skin and the fat off of a chicken breast that has the ribs and bones attached. Slice through the breast meat on an angle. Only score through the meat to the bone. Do not slice through the bones.
Heat some quality mole' paste from a jar in a double boiler over medium low heat. Dilute the warm, melted mole' paste with a little bit of water. Place the warm mole'in a high sided baking pan.
Place the scored chicken breast section in the mole' pan with the bones facing up and the meat facing down. Cover the baking pan with a lid or with foil. Bake the chicken in a 325 degree oven till the chicken is fully cooked.
Assembly: Put the chicken breast on the plate with the bones facing down. Pour some of the mole' on and around the chicken. Sprinkle toasted hulled calabaza seeds on the mole' chicken.
Set the escabeche fresca on a romaine leaf.
Pour some stewed tomatillo on the plate and set the buttered yuca on top of the stewed tomatillos.
Put the rice in a mold and invert the mold and rice onto the plate.
Spoon some of the refried black beans on the plate.
Garnish with cilantro sprigs.
Ninety percent of this entree is old Aztec cuisine. The deep chocolate and pine nut flavor of the mole' is delicious! Mole' can take two days of mortar and pestle work to make, so, it is easier to buy a good mole' paste at a store. The stewed tomatillos really are great with yucca. Refried black beans have such a nice flavor. The escabeche is a nice crispy fresh garnish. ... Shawna
