roast chicken with coffee and chocolate mole
It may look like a scary amount of ingredients for the mole but, trust us, it’s worth it – the result is a deeply savoury, spicy sauce.
1 HOUR 30 MINUTES + MARINATING | SERVES 4
EASY
whole chicken 1.5kg olive oil 1 tbsp
cumin seeds 1 tbsp, toasted and ground
coriander seeds 1 tbsp, toasted and ground
ground cinnamon ½ tsp
black peppercorns ground to make 1 tsp
sea salt flakes 1 tbsp
rice to serve
coriander to serve
lime wedges to serve
MOLE
dried ancho chillies dried chipotle chillies 2
dried guajillo chillies 2
onion 1, chopped
garlic 6 cloves
jalapeño chillies 1-2, deseeded and chopped
chopped tomatoes 400g tin
dried oregano 1 tsp
instant espresso powder peanut butter 2 tbsp
chicken stock 400ml
dark chocolate 50g, finely chopped 1 tbsp
1 About 6 hours before you want to make this recipe, spatchcock the chicken by using a sharp pair of scissors to cut down either side of the backbone. Turn it over so it is breast-side up, and press to flatten slightly. Pour over the olive oil and rub to evenly coat both sides. Mix together the cumin, coriander, cinnamon, black pepper and salt. Sprinkle and rub all over the chicken on both sides, then put into a bowl and chill for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
2 To make the mole, put all of the dried chillies into a heatproof bowl and pour over just-boiled water from the kettle. Leave to soak for 15 minutes, then drain, remove the stalks and seeds, and discard these. Tip the chillies into a blender with the onion, garlic, jalapeños, tomatoes, oregano, espresso powder, peanut butter, stock and some seasoning, and whizz to a purée. Stir the chocolate into the sauce.
3 Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Pour the mole into a large baking tray (approximately 22cm x 35cm) and nestle the chicken on top, scraping any marinade over the chicken. Roast for 55 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and crisp, then cover the whole tray with foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Bring the baking tray to the table, scatter with coriander leaves and serve with rice and lime wedges on the side.
PER SERVING 635 kcals | fat 36.5G saturates 10.8G | carbs 16.9G | sugars 12.2G fibre 8G | protein 55.8G | salt 1G
1 HOUR + COOLING + CHILLING | SERVES 8 A LITTLE EFFORT
milk chocolate 200g, chopped
full-fat soft cheese 360g, at room temperature
caster sugar 150g
eggs 2 large, at room temperature
soured cream 150g, at room temperature
malted milk powder 3 tbsp
cocoa powder 1 tbsp, plus extra for dusting
chocolate shavings to serve
Maltesers 20g, bashed
malted milk biscuits 20g, broken into pieces small chocolate eggs or other treats 40g BASE
malted milk biscuits 250g
butter 100g, melted, plus extra for the tin
malted milk powder 1 tbsp
1 Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter a 23cm springform tin and line the base and sides with baking paper. To make the base, bash the biscuits in a bowl with the end of a rolling pin to a fine crumb, then stir in the melted butter, milk powder and a pinch of salt. Press the mixture into the base of the tin, pressing it down and smoothing with the back of a spoon. Bake for 10 minutes, then leave to cool.
2 Melt the milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of just-simmering water, or in short blasts in the microwave. Leave to cool slightly. Beat the soft cheese and sugar with an electric whisk until just combined, then beat in the eggs, soured cream, milk powder and melted milk chocolate until just combined. Pour the filling over the cooled base and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the filling is set with a slight wobble in the middle. Turn the oven off, leaving the cheesecake inside to cool for at least 2 hours.
3 Chill the cooled cheesecake for at least 2 hours or until ready to serve. Top with the chocolate shavings, Maltesers, biscuit pieces and chocolate eggs to serve.
PER SERVING 713 kcals | fat 44.1G saturates 26G | carbs 66.8G | sugars 46.3G fibre 1.9G | protein 11.1G | salt 1G
Look for ethically produced chocolate, and make sure to buy brands that are labelled with the Fairtrade stamp or similar. For more information, visit fairtrade.net.