O=Oaxacan Mole Blanco

Natalia Mendez is credited as the creator of the before non-existent mole blanco, at the family-run Oaxacan restaurant -La Morada, in the Bronx, New York. Clear as mud? Let me explain.

Since Oaxaca is said to be the home of seven moles, mole blanco was never included on that list. This mole was a special treat that was reserved for Easter and Christmas back in her home region of Oaxaca-in Mixteca. She and her co-owner brought the rare mole blanco recipe into the spotlight with it’s mild, decadent, luxuriously creamy sauce, which is a result of blending coconut oil, peanuts, white pine nuts, and peeled almonds. Behind the opaque veneer lies the heat from habanero and serrano chiles, toasted onion, pungent garlic, and chicken broth.

Back in Mixteca, the families would serve the white sauce over local, edible tree blossoms that tasted like green beans atop a protein base of rabbit, chicken, or chiles rellenos. It’s flavor has been described by food magazine Serious Eats as “stikingly thick and supremely nutty.”

Tradition was to pulverized the mole blanco (white gravy) in a Mexican mortar and pestle called a molcajete y tejolote. Today, however, modern cooks most likely use a food processor or blender. 😉

Try in next time you’re in New York at La Morada, 308 Willis Ave. The Bronx, New York 10454!