Mole Amarillo has great flavor

This week, we are preparing a very different mole that most people don't know about: Mole Amarillo, or yellow mole with chicken. Some of the traditional mole ingredients are not easily found in our area, so I have made a few substitutions in this recipe.

MOLE AMARILLO

Ingredients

5 tablespoons vegetable oil

About 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken

1 cup chopped onion

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1 cup chopped yellow tomato (can easily be found at a farmers market)

1 cup chopped tomatillo

1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper

1⁄2 cup roasted peanuts

Pinch of cumin

Pinch of allspice

Pinch of ground cloves

1⁄2 cup masa flour

A few epazote leaves (Mexican markets carry them)

3 hoja santa leaves (Mexican markets carry them)

2 cups chicken broth

Salt and pepper, to taste

Putting it together

Add the oil to a large pot over medium heat. Brown the chicken in the hot oil until golden on all sides. Remove chicken from pot and set aside. Add the onion to the pot and cook for about three minutes. Add the garlic, tomato, tomatillo, bell pepper and peanuts and cook for about five minutes. Add the spices and the masa flour and cook for about one minute. Add the epazote and hoja santa along with the chicken broth and turn the heat to low. Cook for about one hour, stirring every few minutes to prevent sticking.

Carefully add the cooked sauce to a blender and process until smooth. Return the sauce to the pot and add the chicken; cook for about 20 more minutes to finish cooking the chicken. Adjust the seasoning as needed by adding salt and pepper to taste. When the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thickened, serve over rice with plenty of warm tortillas and enjoy.

Antonio Villagomez is head chef and owner of Cilantro's restaurant and catering in Yuba City, Calif. Contact him at 530-844-2111. His website is cilantros.us.