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Do not be put off by the off-putting word ‘mole’ - just think how guacamole’s simple translation is ‘avocado sauce’. Most moles in Mexico are a sauce with some toasted nuts and dried chillies in – they can be simple or complex – I obviously err towards simple! I had a version of this piquant, peanut sauce at Parcela, a beautiful farm to table restaurant in Tepotzlan. It was so memorable, so moreish, that I immediately tried to make it at home. Like a very grown up peanut butter, use it as a dip for everything, whether tortilla chip, steamed cauli floret or asparagus spear or as here with grilled chicken and vegetables.  

• 1 ancho chilli 
• 1.5 tbsp chipotles en adobo
• 40g butter, or 3 tbsp oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and cut into wedges
• 4 large cloves garlic, skin left on
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 120g roasted peanuts (or use peanut butter)
• 60g sesame seeds plus 1 tbsp to serve
• 45g raisins
• 1 tsp allspice berries
• an inch of cinnamon stick or ½ tsp cinnamon powder
• ½ tsp black peppercorns
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar

To Serve

• Grilled chicken pieces
• Sauted brassicas
• Roast early potatoes
• Toasted sesame seeds

Pre-heat oven to 180C.

Tear open the ancho chilli and toast in a dry frying-pan over a medium heat for 30-40 seconds. Cover with boiling water and let rest for 10 minutes. Toast the sesame seeds for 6-8 minutes until they have turned a pale shade of gold. Hold back a tablespoon and empty the rest into an upright food blender with the allspice, cinnamon and peppercorns. Blitz the whole lot to a powder. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and a tbsp oil. Fry the raisins for a few minutes until puffed up. Empty into the processor with the peanut butter. Dry-roast the onion, garlic and tomatoes in the frying pan until blackened all over in parts and add to the blender. Blitz the whole lot together with the chipotles and ancho and 1.5 teaspoons of sea salt, slowly pouring in a cup of water as the engine is running so as to loosen the mixture and get it blending. Keep the engine running and blitz to create a smooth cream.

Heat the rest of the fat in a medium saucepan and when hot, pour in the sauce and cook for a few minutes, turning down the heat to stop the sauce spluttering. You are looking for it to be like a thick double cream so loosen with a little more water and taste, adjusting the seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook over a low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. This will soften the flavours of the onion and garlic and give all the ingredients a chance to get to know one another.  

Heat a char-grill or griddle pan. Grill chicken pieces. Roast some new potatoes. Sauté some greens and serve with the mole, scattered with toasted sesame seeds.