Mole Coloradito (Mild Red Mole Sauce with Dried Chillies and Nuts)

• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 medium Yellow onion
• 2 tsp Fine sea salt
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 500 g Tomato, ripe
• 250 g Tomatillo, husked
• 2 tbsp Ancho chili powder
• 1 tbsp Guajillo chili powder
• 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp Ground cloves
• 1 tbsp Dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsp Sesame seeds
• 40 g Blanched almonds
• 40 g Peanuts
• 2 pieces Corn tortillas, day-old if possible
• 750 ml Chicken stock, hot

1. Heat 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of the fine sea salt and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
2. Add the tomatoes and tomatillos and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes collapse and the mixture looks jammy. Stir in the ancho chili powder, guajillo chili powder, ground cinnamon and ground cloves and cook for 1 minute to toast the spices. Stir in the dark brown sugar.
3. Meanwhile, toast the sesame seeds, blanched almonds and peanuts in a dry frying-pan over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring, until fragrant and lightly coloured. Tip them straight into the blender. Set the pan aside.
4. In the same frying-pan, warm the corn tortillas for 30 to 60 seconds per side until pliable and lightly toasted. Tear them into pieces and add to the blender. Spoon in the tomato mixture, then add about 250 ml of the chicken stock and blend until very smooth.
5. Return the blended sauce to the saucepan and stir in the remaining chicken stock. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, then cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring often, until thick, glossy and coating the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust with the remaining fine sea salt if needed.
6. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a small frying-pan over medium heat until shimmering. Carefully pour it into the mole and stir well; this gives a traditional sheen and rounds out the flavour. Keep warm over the lowest heat until ready to serve.
7. Serve the mole coloradito over chicken, with rice or warm corn tortillas on the side. If the sauce thickens as it sits, loosen it with a splash of hot chicken stock and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. The finished mole should be smooth, mild and gently spiced.

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