Roasted Chicken with Medjool Date Mole Sauce
This flavourful chicken dish is easy enough to make for a weeknight family meal but refined enough for a dinner party or date-night in. Ancho chili peppers offer flavour without much heat, and chipotle peppers add a smoky, spicy kick, moderated by the natural sweetness of Medjool dates.
If you want to increase or decrease the chili heat, change the amount of chipotle pepper you wish to add –the quantity in this recipe offers a medium heat level.
Serves 4 to 6
Prep Time: Under 15 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Medjool Date Mole Sauce:
2 dried ancho chili peppers
2 cups (500 mL) tinned diced tomatoes
2 small fresh corn tortillas (or 1 cup corn tortilla chips)
1 large cooking onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
¾ cup (110 g) chopped, pitted Natural Delights Medjool dates
3 Tbsp (45 mL) chipotle peppers (chopped peppers and sauce
combined)
2 Tbsp (30 mL) natural peanut butter
2 oz (60 g) bittersweet or unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
2 ½ tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
Salt & pepper
Chicken & Serving:
1 3-4 lb (1.4-1.8 kg) whole chicken**
Cooked basmati rice, sour cream, chopped fresh coriander, lime wedges and extra corn tortillas, for serving.
1. Preheat the oven to 400F (200C).
2. For the mole sauce, pour boiling water on top of the ancho chilis in a bowl and let this sit until cooled to room temperature. Remove and discard the stems of the peppers. Add the peppers along with the remaining ingredients to a blender or food processor and purée until well combined (but the sauce does not need to be smooth).
Season lightly with salt & pepper.
