Pollo en Mole Amarillo Oaxaqueño (Chicken in Yellow Mole)

• 900 g Chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
• 2 tsp Fine sea salt
• 1 tsp Black pepper
• 900 ml Chicken stock
• 2 Bay leaves
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 large Yellow onion
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 3 medium Tomato, ripe
• 2 tbsp Guajillo chili powder
• 2 tsp Ground cumin
• 2 tsp Dried oregano
• ½ tsp Ground cinnamon
• 35 g Masa harina

1. Season the chicken thighs all over with 1 tsp of the fine sea salt and the black pepper. Put them in a large pot with the chicken stock and bay leaves, then bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 30 to 35 minutes, turning once, until the chicken is tender and nearly falling from the bone.
2. Lift the chicken onto a plate and keep warm; discard the bay leaves. Pour the cooking liquid into a bowl or jug and reserve it. Skim off any excess fat from the surface if you like.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until softened and lightly golden. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Add the tomatoes and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring, until they break down and look jammy. Stir in the guajillo chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, ground cinnamon, and the remaining 1 tsp fine sea salt. Cook for 1 minute to toast the spices.
5. Scrape the tomato mixture into a blender and add 400 ml of the reserved chicken cooking liquid. Blend until very smooth, then pass through a sieve-strainer back into the saucepan for a silkier sauce. If needed, add a splash more cooking liquid to help it move through the sieve.
6. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. In a small bowl, whisk the masa harina with 150 ml of the reserved cooking liquid until smooth, then whisk it into the simmering sauce. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
7. Return the chicken to the sauce and spoon the mole over it. Simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes until the chicken is piping hot and the flavours taste rounded. Loosen with a little more reserved cooking liquid if you want a lighter consistency.
8. Taste and adjust seasoning with a pinch more fine sea salt if needed. Rest off the heat for 5 minutes so the sauce settles and clings to the chicken. Serve hot with plenty of mole spooned over each portion.

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