The classic Central Mexican version of green mole lays bare its indigenous roots—tomatillos, green chile, pumpkin seeds, herbs like epazote and hoja santa—all ingredients that have been grown since time immemorial on the stretch of earth we call Mexico. Over the centuries, new flavors have been introduced to the preparation—onions, garlic, sesame, cilantro, parsley—all of which have found their way into some cooks’ versions. But at its heart, this quintessentially Mexican tangy tomatillo sauce thickened with earthy-nutty pumpkin seeds and perfumed with rustic herbs is pure, traditional flavor.
I’ve mostly encountered mole verde served with chicken as a main dish, taco or tamal filling, but its flavor is also beautiful with pork (braised shoulder or shanks, grilled chops) or seafood—everything from halibut to salmon and shrimp. When seafood’s juicy, light flavor is concentrated by roasting, this rich sauce is its perfect accompaniment. Serve mole verde with Mexican white rice, fried plantains, roasted potatoes, and/or chayote to complete the plate.
Note: You can use a 16-ounce jar of salsa verde (best if it’s made with roasted tomatillos) in place of the Roasted Tomatillo Sauce Base to make a “hurry-up” version of the mole.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups Roasted Tomatillo Sauce Base
- 1 sprig Epazote , if you have it
- 1 poblano pepper, roasted as you would a red pepper, then peeled, stemmed and seeded
- 1/3 cup toasted sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
- pinch ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- Salt
- 3 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil (divided use)
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, seafood broth or water
- 1 1/4 pounds medium-to-large shrimp, peeled and, if you wish, deveined
- A big handful of cilantro leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gYBGiizH8s8?si=8DU5eVkiCoFrj--R" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
From Roasted Tomatillo Sauce Base to mole base. In a blender, combine the Tomatillo Sauce Base, epazote, poblano, seeds, spices and a scant teaspoon salt. Blend as smooth as possible.
Cook the mole. Set a large (4-quart) saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of the oil, wait a few moments for it to start shimmering, then add the mole base all at once. Stir nearly continuously as the mixture reduces and thickens, about 5 minutes—don’t cook it so long that it darkens to a drab olive color. Add the broth or water, reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring regularly to ensure the sauce isn’t sticking on the bottom. If the mole is thicker than a cream soup, stir in a little water. Taste and season with salt, depending on the saltiness of your broth.
Cook the shrimp and serve. Set a very large (12-inch) skillet or a wok over medium-high heat. When hot, add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, wait a few seconds for it to heat, then add the shrimp. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes until the shrimp has only a trace of translucency left in the middle. At this point, you have a choice to make. Either pour the sauce in with the shrimp, stir to coat and serve sprinkled with cilantro, or toss the cilantro with the shrimp and serve it atop a generous ladle of the sauce.
Optional reblending. If you haven’t used a high-speed blender like a Vitamix, you may want to create an ultra-velvety texture for the finished mole by scraping it into a blender jar, loosely covering and blending for a minute or more.
