Mexican Inspired Chocolate Chile Sauce

This recipe is another one from my chocolate series and the dark chocolate here enhances the flavor of the chiles and spices. It is very thick and creamy and goes delicious with any protein.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Ancho chiles
• 2 Pasillo chiles
• 2 Guajillo chiles
• 1 large = 2 cups Yellow onion, chopped
• 3 Garlic cloves
• ½ cup = 50g Almonds, raw
• ½ cup = 50g Peanuts, salted, roasted
• 3ea = 434g Large tomatoes
• 2 Cinnamon sticks
• 2 T Sesame seeds
• 2T Black sesame seeds*
• 2 ½ cups Turkey or chicken stock
• ¼ cup = 30g Pumpkin seeds
• 1/8 tsp Cloves, ground
• ¼ tsp Coriander, ground
• 4 Corn tortillas
• 5ea = 150g Dates
• 3oz = 85g Dark chocolate (I use Valrhona's Sakanti but you can use your favorite dark chocolate)
• Salt
• ½ cup Vegetable oil

OPTIONAL:

•1 to 2 cups Heavy cream

*If you can’t find black sesame seeds, simply substitute for more white sesame seeds

TURKEY

• This recipe makes a lot of sauce so you will probably have extra which you can freeze in individual containers and take out as needed.
• I bought turkey thighs but you can also buy whole legs. Honestly, this sauce is delicious with any protein so use it in several meals and change it up every time.

SAUCE

  • Preheat the oven to 400ºF
  • Heat the vegetable oil in a shallow pot and add the garlic and onion. Season with some salt and cook until soft.
  • In the meantime, cut the tomatoes in half and place in an oven safe dish. Add a little drizzle of oil and sprinkle some salt. Place them cut side down and roast for about 20-25 minutes or until the skin has separated from the flesh in most places and you can see some sizzling on the bottom. Remove from the oven and set aside.
  • Heat a dry sauté pan to medium high heat. Add the chiles and toast a bit on both sides or until you see small burnt marks. Set aside.
  • Add the almonds and toast them for about 4 minutes. Set aside.
Spices
  • Add then the cinnamon sticks, sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds to the pan and toast for a minute. Be careful not to burn the sesame seeds. Let cool completely.
  • Add the stock to the onions and then the toasted chiles and tortillas torn into pieces. Heat until the chiles and tortillas are soft.
  • Add the almonds, peanuts, cinnamon sticks, sesame and pumpkin seeds to a blender and process until a thick powder is made. Don’t go over to a paste, you’ll still have time to process it further.
  • Now you have to add the rest of the ingredients into the blender, EXCEPT the heavy cream. You can work in batches or all at once if your blender is big enough. If you work in batches, add each processed batch into a container. Once everything is processed and looks like a thick cream, add back to the pot.
  • Heat just until it’s warm making sure you stir and mix everything in the meantime.
  • Taste. IF it is too spicy for you or you want it creamier, add some of the heavy cream about ½ cup at a time. Mix and taste after each addition until you are happy with the result. This will all depend on how hot or mild you want your sauce.

TURKEY:

  • Place the turkey legs in an oven-safe dish, season them with salt and pepper and add about two fingers of water, stock, white wine or a combination.
  • Roast them in a 385ºF oven for about 35 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 65ºC or 149ºF.
  • Let it cool before slicing or cutting.

Serve this amazingly flavorful sauce with the turkey pieces, some fresh corn tortillas, avocado and lime wedges. Enjoy!

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