Ingredients

Protein & Vegetables

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

• 2 poblano peppers

• 1 medium white onion, sliced

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 ripe tomato, diced

Mole-Style Sauce Base

• 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded

• 1 dried guajillo chile, stemmed and seeded

• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

• 1 tbsp Mexican chocolate, finely chopped

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• ½ tsp dried Mexican oregano

• 2 cups chicken broth

Finishing & Garnish

• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

• 2 tbsp neutral oil or rendered chicken fat

• Mexican crema, for drizzling

• Fresh cilantro leaves

• Toasted sesame seeds

Preparation

1. Rehydrate the Chiles

Place the dried chiles in a bowl and cover with hot water. Allow to soften for 15 minutes, then drain.

2. Roast the Poblanos

Heat the Platinum Gourmet Jumbo Skillet over medium-high heat. Dry-roast the poblanos until blistered and charred on all sides. Remove, cover briefly, peel, deseed, and slice into strips.

3. Sear the Chicken

Add oil to the skillet and heat over medium-high. Season chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper. Sear skin-side down until deeply golden, about 5–6 minutes. Flip and sear an additional 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.

4. Build the Sauce

Reduce heat to medium. In the same skillet, add onion and sauté until softened and lightly caramelized. Add garlic and tomato; cook until fragrant.

Blend the rehydrated chiles, sesame seeds, chocolate, cinnamon, cumin, oregano, and chicken broth until smooth. Carefully pour the sauce into the skillet and bring to a gentle simmer.

5. Braise

Return chicken to the skillet, nestling it into the sauce. Add roasted poblano strips. Cover with the skillet lid and simmer on low for 30–35 minutes, turning the chicken once, until tender and fully cooked.

6. Finish

Adjust seasoning as needed. The sauce should be velvety and deeply aromatic.