Recipe: Turkey Breast With Dried-Plum Mole

You still have time to collect some new Thanksgiving recipes.

Richard Sandoval, the chef and owner of five different local restaurants, stopped by News4 Midday to show you how to put a little Latin flavor into your Turkey dinner.

Turkey breast with dried-plum mole
Serves 8-10

For the dried plum mole:

• five tablespoons canola oil
• one medium yellow onion, chopped
• one seven-ounce (200g) package pitted dried plum (about 1.5 cups)
• one 14.5-ounce (415g) can chopped fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
• two pasilla chilies, seeded, deribbed, and toasted or 1/4 cup pure ground ancho chile (do not roast the ground chile)
• one 1.5-inch (4 cm) piece cinnamon stick
• three black peppercorns
• three and a half cups (840 ml) chicken stock or reduced sodium chicken broth
• one-third cup (30g) sliced natural almonds
• one and a half ounces (45g) unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
• kosher salt

For the turkey:

• two and a half pounds (1.2 kg) bone-in turkey breast halves with skin
• canola oil for brushing
• one teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• one tablespoon sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Make the mole: Heat three tablespoons of the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook them, stirring occasionally until the onion is translucent, about four minutes. Add the dried plums, tomatoes, chilies, cinnamon and peppercorns, and stir well. Pour the stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the plums are very soft, about 20 minutes. Let the mixture cool completely.

2. Stir the almonds into the plum mixture. In batches, puree the plum mixture in a blender and transfer it to a bowl.

3. Heat the remaining two tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pureed plum mixture and return it to a boil. Remove it from the heat and stir in the chocolate until it is melted. Season the mole to taste with salt. (The mole can be cooled, covered and refrigerated up for up to two days.)

4. Make the turkey: Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees F.

5. Brush the turkey skin with oil, and season the turkey all over with salt and pepper. Place the turkey, skin side up, in a roasting pan. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the turkey reads 165 degrees F, about 75 minutes. Transfer the turkey to a carving board and let it stand for 10 minutes.

6. Pour the turkey drippings into a glass measuring cup. Skim off the clear fat and reserve the juices. Heat the roasting pan over medium heat until it is sizzling. Add the mole and skimmed juices and stir, scraping up the browned bits in the pan with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to very low to keep it warm. If the sauce thickens too much, stir in a few tablespoons of stock or water.

7. Using a sharp knife, carve the turkey across the grain, discarding the bones. Transfer to a serving platter, overlapping the slices. Spoon about half the mole over the turkey and sprinkle it with the sesame seeds. Serve it hot, with the remaining sauce passed on the side.