Mole Negro Oaxaqueño — The black mole, burned chiles and all

Burn the chilhuacle negro chiles: hold each one directly over a gas flame or press against a very hot comal until the skin turns to black carbon. Do not rush. Rinse each burned chile briefly under cold running water — just enough to remove the outermost char layer. Soak in hot water for 20 minutes.

Toast the mulato and pasilla chiles in the standard way (20–30 seconds per side until fragrant, not burned). Soak with the chilhuacles.

Toast separately on a dry skillet: sesame seeds, pepitas, and peanuts until golden. Fry the stale tortilla and plantain in lard until dark. Briefly fry the raisins. Toast the avocado leaves (30 seconds per side). Char the onion, garlic, tomatoes, and tomatillos on the comal.

Drain all the soaked chiles. Blend in batches with some of the soaking liquid. Blend separately: the charred onion/garlic/tomatoes; and the nuts/seeds/tortilla/plantain/raisins/chocolate/spices with broth. Combine all blended mixtures.

Heat lard in a large, deep pot over high heat. Add the combined blended paste — it will spit aggressively. Fry, stirring constantly, for 7–10 minutes until the paste turns from dark red-brown to true black and pulls slightly from the sides of the pot.

Add the broth gradually, stirring. Add the avocado leaves. Bring to a simmer. Cook on low heat for 45–60 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. The mole should be glossy, black, and coat a spoon heavily.

Season aggressively with salt. The flavor should be profound — bitter, sweet, smoky, chocolatey — and none of these notes should dominate.

Sear the turkey or chicken pieces in oil until golden. Add to the mole and simmer for 30–35 minutes until cooked through. Serve over white rice with warm tortillas and a scattering of sesame seeds.