Grand Recipes

Here is a tempting Mexican recipe for you that’s perfect for a romantic dinner on Valentine’s Day, shared by Executive Chef Guido de la Mora.

Duck in Mole Rosa

This pink mole is a traditional recipe from the state of Guerrero and owes its color to beets. There are other versions of this distinctive dish with Jamaica (dried hibiscus flowers) and with different chilies.

Learn to make this pink mole recipe from scratch, frying almonds, peanuts, chili peppers and then grinding everything together. The combination of flavors makes this dish exceptional and the intense pink color will make it stand out on your table.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup almonds, peeled and filleted
  • 1 cup peanuts
  • 1 cup pine nuts, rose or white
  • 1 1/2 cups sesame seeds
  • 1/4 onions
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 3 serrano chillis, seedless
  • 2 slices of white bread (baguette)
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon star anise pod
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 beet
  • salt
  • 5 cups chicken broth
  • 2 portions of duck magret
  • Pine nuts and rose petals, to decorate
  • Serve with tortillas

Preparation

For the duck magret

Take the duck out of the fridge at least an hour before you want to cook it so that it is at room temperature. Lightly score the skin, making sure that you do not cut through to the meat, this will help speed up cooking, but it is optional. If you are going to do it, the classic technique is to make small rhombus cuts.

Place the duck in a frying pan or on a cold grill. Cook on a medium-low heat for several minutes so that the fat is released completely until a crisp crust forms. The meat is not yet cooked because the fat acts as an isolating layer. Drain away the fat and turn up the heat to medium-high. Brown the skin for a couple of minutes so that it is crisper and turn over. The duck should be cooked between 3 and 7 minutes on each side. Duck is often served pink which means cooking it for three minutes each side. If you prefer your duck well cooked, fry it for up to 7 minutes, you can keep checking.

Cut the duck into one and a half to two-centimeter slices and season.

For the mole sauce

You can make the mole while the duck is coming up to room temperature.

For the seeds, add the butter in a pan and start frying the almonds, peanuts, pine nuts and sesame at a medium heat for a maximum of 5 minutes; it is important that they do not brown too much.
Heat oil in a pan and sauté the onion, garlic, serrano chilli, bread, cinnamon, anise and cloves for seven minutes, medium temperature without browning.
Place the unpeeled beets on a tray and bake for 30 minutes, at 200°C. Remove the skin and reserve.
Blend the fried seeds and mix with the fried chilies and the baked beets; Add chicken broth and blend for 8 minutes, until the mole is very smooth.
Heat a pan over medium heat and add oil, fry the mole and cook for 30 minutes at low temperature, taking care that it doesn´t stick. Serve some of the mole on a plate, top with the hot cooked duck slices and drizzle with more mole.  Sprinkle with pink pine nuts and rose petals. Serve with warm tortillas and a bottle of Mexican wine.

If you have mole sauce left over, you can cook chicken breasts or a mixture of thighs and legs and heat up the sauce for a delicious variation of this dish.

Mole Rosa