Guest Author - Terri Perkins Fulton

Adapted from Mexico One Plate At A Time by Rick Bayless

Serves 4 (or make it for two and save the leftover mole for another amazing meal)

2 tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup vegetable oil or lard
6 medium dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded (about 3 ounces)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/3-cup pine nuts
1/3-cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
3 1/2 cups chicken broth, plus more if needed
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8-teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Dash freshly ground cloves
1/2-ounce coarsely chopped Mexican chocolate
1/2 slice firm white bread, darkly toasted and broken in half
Salt, about 1/2 teaspoon
Sugar, about 2 tablespoons
4 Cornish game hens (about 1 1/4 pounds each)
Oil for the hens

Broil the tomatillos until blackened in spots, about 4 minutes. Turn them and roast an additional 3 to 4 minutes until blistered and soft. Scrape the tomatillos with their juices into a bowl.

Toast the sesame seeds in a small skillet until golden, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes. Put 2/3 of them in the bowl with the tomatillos. Reserve the rest for garnish.

Heat the oil in a heavy, large pot over medium heat. Tear or open the chiles so they are flat, and fry them a few at a time, turning constantly, until their interior side is a lighter color, about 20 to 30 seconds total. Remove them to an empty bowl, leaving as much oil in the skillet as possible. Cover the chiles with boiling water and let them stand submerged for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove any seeds left in the oil. Place the pot back on the heat and fry the garlic until browned and soft, about 5 minutes. Remove to the bowl with the tomatillos. Add the pine nuts to the oil and stir until golden and lightly toasted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Place in the bowl too, along with the apricots.

Transfer the chiles to a blender or food processor, along with 1 1/4 cups of their soaking liquid. Blend the chiles to smooth puree, adding a little more liquid if necessary to keep the blades going. Scrape the puree into a bowl. Do not wash the blender jar. Add the tomatillo mixture to the blender, along with 1/2 cup of broth, the cinnamon, pepper, cloves, chocolate and bread. Blend to a smooth puree, adding a little more broth if necessary. (At this point Bayless suggests pressing the chile puree and the tomatillo puree through a medium strainer to make the sauce extra smooth. I have found the sauce to be perfect without this step, but go ahead and do it if you like.)

Add or pour off the fat in the pot to make a film on the bottom. Heat over medium-high heat, and add the chile puree. Stir constantly until the mixture has darkened and thickened to the consistency of tomato paste, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatillo puree and stir until thickened to tomato paste consistency, about another 5 minutes.

Add the remaining 3 cups broth. Stir to combine. Partially cover, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes. The consistency should be like gravy, thick enough to coat a spoon. Season with salt and sugar to your liking. The mole should be spicy and slightly sweet. Keep warm.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Rinse the hens and pat dry. Tie the legs together and tuck the wings under. Rub the hens with oil and sprinkle with salt. Lightly oil a roasting pan and place the hens in it breast side up. Cook the hens at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes, until the juices run clear when a thigh is pierced with a knife. Raise the heat to 450 and continue cooking and additional 5 minutes, until they are golden brown all over.

Ladle a generous amount of mole onto each plate. Place a hen in the middle, sprinkle with the reserved sesame seeds and serve.

NOTE: Mole can be made 2 to 3 days ahead. Refrigerate and warm before serving. It may also be frozen for up to 3 months