Name: Thomas Bille's Winning Duck en Mole Negro
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 45 min
Cuisine: Mexican/Latin
Ingredients: 4 duck breasts, 6-8 oz each, skin scored in a crosshatch; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 4 dried chilhuacle negro or pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded; 3 dried mulato chiles, stemmed and seeded; 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded; 1 corn tortilla, torn, plus 2 tbsp raw sesame seeds; 2 tbsp raw pepitas; 2 tbsp almonds; 2 roma tomatoes, charred; 3 tomatillos, husked and charred; 1/2 white onion, charred; 3 cloves garlic, charred in skin then peeled; 1 oz Mexican dark chocolate (or 70% dark), chopped; 1 tbsp raisins; 1 small ripe plantain, sliced and browned; 1 stick canela (Mexican cinnamon), 1 clove, 2 allspice berries, 1 tsp cumin seed, toasted; 3-4 cups duck or chicken stock, warm; 2 tbsp lard or neutral oil; Sugar and salt to balance; Toasted sesame seeds and micro-cilantro, to finish

Duck en Mole Negro

45 min Prep

2 hr Cook

4 Serves

Ingredients

4 duck breasts, 6-8 oz each, skin scored in a crosshatch
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 dried chilhuacle negro or pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
3 dried mulato chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 corn tortilla, torn, plus 2 tbsp raw sesame seeds
2 tbsp raw pepitas
2 tbsp almonds
2 roma tomatoes, charred
3 tomatillos, husked and charred
1/2 white onion, charred
3 cloves garlic, charred in skin then peeled
1 oz Mexican dark chocolate (or 70% dark), chopped
1 tbsp raisins
1 small ripe plantain, sliced and browned
1 stick canela (Mexican cinnamon), 1 clove, 2 allspice berries, 1 tsp cumin seed, toasted
3-4 cups duck or chicken stock, warm
2 tbsp lard or neutral oil
Sugar and salt to balance
Toasted sesame seeds and micro-cilantro, to finish

Instructions

Toast the chiles in a dry comal or skillet 20-30 seconds a side until fragrant and pliable — do not scorch or the mole turns bitter. Cover with hot water and steep 20 minutes.
On the same comal, char tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, and unpeeled garlic until blackened in spots. Peel the garlic. Toast the tortilla, sesame, pepitas, and almonds separately until deep golden.
Toast the whole spices, then grind to a powder. Brown the plantain slices in a little lard until caramelized.
Work in batches: blend the drained chiles with a ladle of warm stock until smooth, then blend the charred vegetables, nuts, seeds, tortilla, raisins, plantain, and ground spices with more stock. Pass everything through a fine strainer.
Heat 2 tbsp lard in a heavy pot until shimmering. "Fry" the strained chile paste — pour it in and stir constantly 8-10 minutes as it darkens and tightens; this fixes the flavor.
Add the vegetable-nut puree and the chocolate. Simmer gently 30-40 minutes, stirring often and loosening with stock, until glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon. Balance with a pinch of sugar and salt — it should read bittersweet, smoky, and deep, not sweet.
Season the duck and lay skin-side down in a cold, dry ovenproof skillet. Bring to medium heat and render 8-10 minutes until the skin is mahogany and crisp, pouring off fat. Flip, then finish in a 400F oven to 130F internal for medium-rare. Rest 8 minutes.
Pool the warm mole on the plate. Slice the duck against the grain, fan it over the sauce, and finish with toasted sesame and micro-cilantro.

Inspired by Thomas Bille’s winning duck en mole negro. This is a plausible recreation, not the chef’s original recipe.