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Turkey Mole with Almonds and Sesame Seeds (AI-generated preview)

From Like Water for Chocolate · 1992 · Screen-exact

Turkey Mole with Almonds and Sesame Seeds

Serve when

Serve it low and dark, ground fresh at the metate — the baptism mole that Tita grinds by hand while Pedro watches, transfixed, from across the kitchen.

In the movie

The April recipe of Esquivel's novel, carried into the film — Esquivel wrote the screenplay, and the mole Tita prepares for her nephew's baptism follows the book's own chapter.

Theatrical

  • 00:36:10 Preparing turkey mole with almonds and sesame seeds for her nephew Roberto's baptism, Tita grinds the nuts and seeds at a metate, hunched low over the stone — and Pedro, watching, is transfixed by her, until Chencha interrupts the moment.

The baptism mole is the film's clearest picture of how Tita cooks: total absorption, total precision, and a body language Pedro can't stop watching even from across the room. Nothing overtly magical happens here — no one weeps or levitates — which is what makes it land so hard. It doesn't need magic. The attraction is already plainly, helplessly there.

Ingredients

Method

  1. Toast the dried chiles in a dry pan until fragrant but not burnt, then soak in hot water 20 minutes until pliable.
  2. Toast the almonds and sesame seeds separately until golden. Fry the tortilla pieces, bread, and plantain in a little lard until golden.
  3. Blend the soaked chiles, nuts, seeds, fried tortilla and bread, plantain, charred tomatoes, onion, and garlic with enough stock to make a smooth, thick purée. Work in batches.
  4. Fry the purée in a heavy pot in a little more lard, stirring constantly, until it darkens and thickens, 15-20 minutes — the mole will spit, so keep the heat moderate.
  5. Thin with the remaining stock, add the chocolate and cinnamon stick, and simmer uncovered at least an hour, stirring often, until deep, glossy, and rich. Season with salt.
  6. Poach or roast the turkey separately until it reads 165°F at the thickest point, then nappe with the finished mole and scatter with a few whole sesame seeds before serving.

Substitutions

  • Dried chiles: if any of the three are unavailable, lean on ancho for depth and add a little extra pasilla or guajillo for the smoke and fruit the mulato usually contributes.
  • Mexican chocolate (Ibarra or Abuelita): semisweet chocolate with a pinch of cinnamon and a touch of sugar approximates it in a pinch.

Beyond the recipe

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