8 servings

Hands on: 40 minutes

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Total time: 1 hour, 25 minutes

The success of this recipe, adapted from Emerils.com, relies on fresh ingredients and high-quality chocolate. It has a rich but honest flavor and texture from roasted poblanos and onions and a bit of dark chocolate. Use it with braised or roasted chicken or pork.

1 pound (about 6) poblano chiles

1 large yellow onion, peeled and halved (root ends left on)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 cup shelled pistachio nuts

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup pine nuts

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

4 cups chicken stock or canned chicken broth

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

2 ounces bittersweet or other dark chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 cup heavy cream

To roast the peppers: Place them directly on the burners of a gas stove over medium heat and turn them frequently with tongs until all sides are charred black, 7 to 10 minutes. (Alternatively, the peppers can be roasted under a broiler, or over a hot gas or charcoal grill.) Transfer the peppers to a plastic or paper bag, seal the bag, and let them cool for about 15 minutes. Roast the two onion halves over medium heat, using the same procedure, until the cut surfaces are lightly charred and the onion is slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Peel the peppers, remove the seeds and stems, and coarsely chop the flesh. Remove the root ends from the onions and coarsely chop them. (The chopped peppers and onions will yield about 2 cups.)

Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the pistachio nuts, pumpkin seeds and pine nuts and cook, stirring occasionally, until the nuts are browned, about 5 minutes. (The nuts will make popping sounds as they cook.) Cover the skillet if the nuts start to jump out of the skillet.

Add the chopped peppers and onions, chili powder, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper and stir for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and cilantro and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. Add the cream, stir well and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.

Puree the mole with an immersion blender, or in batches in a blender. Serve warm.

Per serving: 230 calories (percent of calories from fat, 58), 11 grams protein, 16 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 16 grams fat (7 grams saturated), 20 milligrams cholesterol, 548 milligrams sodium.