Instructions: Seeded, deveined, roasted or lightly fried, and soaked. Reserve some of the soaking water or water/vinegar mixture.

Prepare the spices: Heat a little lard in a large, deep saucepan. Fry halved onion until transparent and lightly browned. Add garlic cloves, and brown. Remove garlic. Reserve. Add more lard, and fry sesame seeds, almonds, peanuts, raisins, prunes, plantains, coriander seed, anise, and cinnamon. Remove. Drain all fried ingredients on paper towels. Put fried ingredients, croissant, tortillas, and broth in a blender or food processor, and blend thoroughly. It will be necessary to blend in batches.

Heat remaining lard, and brown onion slices. Add blended ingredients and salt. Simmer over low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, prepare the chiles: Blend chiles mulatos, anchos, pasillas, and chipotle in a blender or food processor with onion, garlic, and a little reserved soaking water. Salt. Strain chile mixture, and gruadually stir into the simmering spice mixture, waiting about 10 minutes between each addition. Continue to heat mole, stirring occasionally. Add chocolate and sugar. Add salt if necessary.

Simmer mole for 2 to 3 hours. Cover saucepan with lid or aluminum foil to avoid splattering. The mole also can be prepared outdoors on a brazier to avoid splattering or over firewood, which gives the sauce a rustic flavor. Add broth until the mole is slightly thick. The mole is ready when it is very thick, with a thick top layer of fat. Taste, and add more salt if necessary.

Prepare the chicken: Heat water in a large stock pot. Add chicken, onions, garlic, carrots, celery, bay leaves, and salt. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Cool chicken in broth. Then add chicken pieces to the mole sauce, and cook for 30 minutes.

Serve mole, garnished with toasted sesame seeds, from a clay pot, or serve on individual plates, sprinkling sesame seeds over the mole-covered chicken. This dish often is served with red rice, frijoles de oila, and freshly made tortillas.

This mole recipe will yild more sauce than necessary for one meal. Use extra sauce to accent fried or poached eggs or in stuffings for enmoladas, mole-chicken pie, or chicken crepes with cheese and cream. It is an excellent complement to rice. The mole sauce freezes well.

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