Chocolate Balsamic Chicken Mole

Mole is one of the great dishes — complex, deeply layered, and worth every minute it takes. This version uses our Dark Chocolate Balsamic as the backbone of the sauce, bringing a rich cocoa depth and gentle acidity that plays beautifully against the dried chiles and warm spices. It's a weekend project in the best possible sense: active cooking time is under an hour, and it rewards you with a pot of something genuinely extraordinary that gets even better the next day.

Recipe: Chocolate Balsamic Chicken Mole
Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 5 lbs skinless boneless chicken thighs

• 4 tbsp Single Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided

• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

• 1 cup Dark Chocolate Balsamic

• ½ cup fresh orange juice

• 1¼ lbs onions, sliced

• ½ cup shelled pumpkin seeds

• 6 large garlic cloves, sliced

• 4 tsp cumin seeds

• 4 tsp coriander seeds

• 4 oz dried pasilla chiles, stemmed, seeded, torn into 1-inch pieces, rinsed

• 1 oz dried negro chiles, stemmed, seeded, torn into 1-inch pieces, rinsed

• ¼ cup dried currants or raisins

• One 3–4 inch strip of orange zest

• 1½ tsp dried oregano

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• Salt and black pepper to taste

• Fresh cilantro for garnish

Instructions:

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a heavy stockpot over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and sauté in batches until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer browned chicken to a large bowl.

2. Return all chicken to the pot. Add the broth, Dark Chocolate Balsamic, and orange juice. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 25 minutes until chicken is tender. Transfer chicken to a bowl and reserve the cooking liquid.

3. In a separate large pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until deep golden brown, about 18 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add pumpkin seeds, garlic, cumin, and coriander; cook until seeds and garlic begin to color, about 2 minutes. Add the dried chiles and stir until softened, about 3 minutes.

4. Pour the reserved chicken cooking liquid into the onion and chile mixture. Add the orange zest, oregano, and cinnamon. Cover and simmer until chiles are very soft, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

5. Working in small batches, transfer the sauce to a blender and purée until smooth. Return to the pot. Season generously with salt and pepper.

6. Coarsely shred the chicken and stir it back into the sauce to coat.

7. Serve over rice or with warm corn tortillas. Garnish generously with fresh cilantro.

Make It Ahead: This mole is better on day two — the flavors deepen and the sauce becomes more cohesive overnight. Store covered in the refrigerator and rewarm gently over low heat. It also freezes beautifully for up to 3 months.

A Note on the Chiles: Dried pasilla and negro chiles are available at most grocery stores or Latin markets. They provide the backbone of the mole's flavor — don't skip them. The combination of dried chiles and Dark Chocolate Balsamic is what makes this dish genuinely unlike anything else on your table.