Serious Heat: Silky, Spicy Mole Sauce Recipe

Rehydrate the pasilla chile by pouring boiling water over it, and allowing it to soak for half an hour. When you're ready to make the sauce, pull the chile open and seed it. Chop coarsely and put in a blender or food processor with the chipotles, black beans, chocolate, almonds and salt. Blend, adding the stock slowly, allowing the blades to do their work as the sauce things out. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan, and gently sauté the garlic and shallots over low heat. Once they're soft, add them to the blended chocolate-chile mix, and blend again. Transfer the sauce to a saucepan, and simmer for 10 minutes. Keep an eye on it to avoid scalding because the chocolate and nuts are delicate. The sauce should have a subtle but definite heat and enough salt to bring out the diverse flavors. If the sauce needs to be spicier, add some of the reserved chile seeds or add a low-acid hot sauce such as Marie Sharp's.