Mole Poblano

Toast the chillies on a dry hot pan for a few seconds each side, pressing them flat, until they smell nutty and darken slightly.

Cover them with hot water and leave to soak for 30 minutes.

On the same pan, toast the almonds, sesame, pumpkin seeds, tortilla and bread separately, each until golden, and set them aside together.

Char the tomatoes, tomatillos, onion and garlic on the dry pan until blackened in patches and softened. Peel the garlic.

Toast the cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns and aniseed for 30 seconds, then grind them.

Blend the drained chillies with a little of their soaking water until completely smooth, then push the purée through a sieve.

Blend the toasted nuts, seeds, bread, tortilla, charred vegetables, ground spices and raisins with 400 ml of the stock until smooth, and sieve that too.

Heat the lard in a heavy pot until shimmering. Add the chilli purée — it will spit — and fry, stirring, for 10 minutes until it darkens and thickens.

Add the nut and vegetable purée and fry for another 10 minutes.

Pour in the rest of the stock, add the salt, and simmer very gently for 1 to 1.5 hours, stirring often, until it coats a spoon thickly.

Stir in the chocolate until melted.

Taste. It should be complex and faintly bitter; add sugar only if it is sharp rather than to sweeten it.

Pour over the warm chicken and scatter with toasted sesame seeds.