Destination
Puerto Vallarta
The story
Oaxaca's empanada de mole amarillo is not the small fried empanada you know from Argentina or Colombia. It's a giant half-moon of thin masa, 25cm across, stuffed with a spoonful of Oaxaca's yellow mole (mole amarillo), a few pieces of shredded chicken and — the seasonal marker — a handful of squash blossoms, then folded, sealed at the edges and cooked on a dry comal until the masa is patched with dark spots and the mole has warmed through into a bright yellow filling that runs when you cut it open. Sold at every Oaxacan mercado breakfast counter, especially at the 20 de Noviembre and Sánchez Pascuas markets, and at every roadside stall in the Central Valleys and the Sierra Norte.
Method
Simmer the chicken with onion, garlic, bay, salt and water for 20 minutes. Shred. Reserve 400ml of the poaching broth.
Toast guajillos and chilcosles on a dry pan 20 seconds a side. Soak in hot water 15 minutes.
Char the tomatoes, tomatillos, onion and garlic cloves on a dry pan 6 minutes until blackened in patches. Toast the cumin, oregano and cloves 30 seconds.
Drain the chiles. Blend chiles, charred vegetables, spices, masa harina, salt and 200ml of the reserved stock to a very smooth paste. Strain if desired.
Warm the lard in a wide pan. Tip in the mole paste (careful — it splutters). Cook 12 minutes, stirring, until darkened and the fat separates. Whisk in the rest of the stock and simmer 10 more minutes until thickened. Fold in the shredded chicken. Keep warm.
Whisk masa harina and salt. Add water and melted lard. Knead 2 minutes to a soft dough. Rest 15 minutes.
Divide the dough into 8 balls (larger than for tacos). Press each into a thin 22cm round between baking paper — 3mm thick. Working one at a time: spoon 3 tbsp of the mole-chicken mixture onto one half of the round, leaving a 2cm border. Add a few squash blossoms, a leaf or two of epazote, and a small handful of quesillo strings. Fold the empty half over the filling to make a half-moon. Press the edges to seal.
Heat a dry heavy comal or large pan over medium-high heat. Slide the empanada carefully on. Cook 3 minutes on the first side, 3 minutes on the second — the outside should be patched with dark spots and the filling should be hot through. Serve immediately, one empanada per person, with extra mole and salsa verde on the side.
Tips
- Roll the masa thin. 3mm is the target. A thick empanada is stodgy; a thin one blisters and browns beautifully.
- Seal the edges well. Press with fingertips and a fork if needed. A leaking empanada is a heartbreak.
- Squash blossoms in season, mushrooms out. Squash flowers give a specific delicate note; if you can't find them, thinly sliced mushrooms give the empanada bulk and texture without dominating.
- Mole from a jar works too. If making mole from scratch is a step too far, a jar of Guelaguetza mole amarillo, thinned with stock, gives you an authentic result in 20 minutes.
- One empanada per person is a full lunch. These are big. Do not double up.
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