Making moles can be easy

Many people living north of the proverbial border think Cinco de Mayo is the ultimate holiday in Mexico. Well, no, that honor goes to Mexican independence day, Sept. 16.

Cinco de Mayo commemorates a famed victory of the Mexicans over a French army in 1862. It is a day to remember, yes, especially in the Mexican state of Puebla, where the battle took place.

But in the United States, May 5 has become a salute to Mexican culture, heritage, and food.

"It's popular because it's easy to say, Cinco de Mayo," says Fernando J. Olea, the Mexican-born chef behind Epazote restaurant in Santa Fe, N.M.

Olea says a good way to celebrate is to get sauced - with the salsas and moles of Mexico. He has built a reputation at Epazote for an array of richly complex, aromatic moles paired with everything from halibut to rack of lamb to duck breast. To Olea, moles are integral to the fine cuisine of Mexico.

"When I talk about Mexican food," says Olea, "I say moles are like the sauces the French are famous for." And, contrary to popular belief, moles are easier to make than one might believe.

"Moles have become synonymous with time-consuming, complicated cooking," writes chef Roberto Santibanez in his new cookbook Truly Mexican (Wiley).

"It's easy to see why. The best-known version in the United States is mole poblano, a wonderful, deep-brown sauce that can take hours of effort and 22 ingredients, including, famously, a little chocolate. No wonder the notion of making mole at home seems absurd."

In reality, though, most moles are easy to make at home, says Santibanez, a native of Mexico City and chef/owner of Fonda in Brooklyn, and culinary partner of the Taco Truck in Hoboken.

A mole is "a bunch of ingredients ground up," he writes, most typically a mixture of "chilies, spices, or herbs, tomatoes and tomatillos and seeds . . . or nuts."

Sauces made mostly of nuts or seeds are technically called pipianes, but the method of preparation is so similar that he lumps them under the mole classification.

Little else seems to really unite them. Moles and pipianes "can be brothy or soupy or thick, and their color can range from deep red to vibrant green to midnight black," he notes.

"What's fascinating about moles is that all of their ingredients combine in such a way that they give up their individual identities and create one entirely new flavor. And . . . making them can be as simple as blending chilies, peanuts, and garlic, or chilies, onions, garlic, and herbs. Whatever the case, they require no esoteric skill or equipment - a sturdy blender and a heavy saucepan will get you through most of the recipes - and many take only a bit more effort than salsas."

Makes enough for 8 to 10 servings

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1/2 cup each: pecans, pine nuts

1 stick Mexican cinnamon

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1 teaspoon anise seeds

4 cloves

1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 stick butter

1/2 cup garlic

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1 (1/2 ounce) chimayo chili, seeds removed

1/2 cup apricots, pitted

3 ounces white chocolate

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon white pepper Salt

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1. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat, 2 minutes. Lightly toast the pecans and pine nuts. Add the sesame seeds, anise seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves and cumin seeds; cook, stirring constantly, until lightly golden.

2. Melt butter in pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion and red chili; cook until soft, 3-5 minutes.

3. Place all ingredients, except white pepper and salt, in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth, adding water if necessary.

4. Pour sauce into a large saucepan. Heat to a boil; lower heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, 1 hour. Add white pepper and salt to taste.

Note: Chef Ferdinand J. Olea arrived in New Mexico more than two decades ago. The Santa Fe-based restaurateur decided to pay tribute to his adopted city on its 400th anniversary by creating a new mole using New Mexican ingredients. Olea serves this mole with rack of lamb.

Per serving (based on 10): 275 calories, 4 grams protein, 13 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams sugar, 25 grams fat, 26 milligrams cholesterol, 244 milligrams sodium, 3 grams dietary fiber.