3/4/10

7 Mexican Moles, Day 1 at ICE

After the lamb shank class (from 9:30 to 3:30) I ran back to the hotel, flopped on the bed and then got up almost immediately for the evening class (6pm-11pm) on moles.
As you can tell from the picture the kitchen for this class is similar to the Fine Cooking class. There were exceptions. There was a salamander to broil things under, there was a dishwasher (of the human kind), there were different machines (robo coupe instead of regular blender, etc), and this was the first time this class was offered. It was an intense class. We prepared 7 types of moles, soups, tortillas, tamales, drinks, rice, and other odds and ends. Most of the moles were pre-prepped for the next day. We also made drinks ... beer with Maggi, Worcesteshire sauce, hot sauce and soy sauce... called michilada. Made tequila and sangrita (tomato juice, orange juice mix). We strained, browned, poached, rolled, chopped and flame cooked ingredients.Then we sat down and ate some of what we made.
My assignment was mole amarillo with poached chicken. It was very similar to the moles I have made in the past. I did learn, from Fine Cooking 1, how to poach chicken, which made the whole thing tastier than I had ever made before. Also the straining of the sauce through a chinoise made the mole smoother than previously.
The chef's name was Dan Stone. The helper was Pablo. Both of them knowledgeable and cheerfully helpful. I wish that the class had been a tad less intense. Although the class is called "7 Moles" I actually learned only one.I will let you know how the next night turns out.
If you want to see the rest of the pictures they are here.