Mole-Style Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 whole red bell peppers
• 6-8 jalapeño peppers (de-seed for moderate heat)
• 6 cloves garlic (peeled)
• 1 inch ginger (peeled)
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup water (adjust for desired thickness)
• 4-6 tbsp lime juice (from 2 limes)
• 2 tbsp olive oil (or use oil from chipotle can)
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo (plus 1 tbsp adobo sauce)
• 1.5 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp Mexican oregano
• 1-2 tbsp cacao powder (unsweetened)
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp allspice
• Tiny pinch ground clove (optional)
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 425°F (or use broiler, or char over gas flame).

2. 2

   Place whole red peppers and jalapeños on a baking sheet. Add peeled garlic cloves and peeled ginger to the baking sheet.

3. 3

   Roast everything for 20 minutes, turning peppers halfway through, until pepper skins are charred and blistered and garlic/ginger are golden and softened.

4. 4

   Transfer peppers to a bowl, cover, and steam for 10 minutes to loosen skins.

5. 5

   Peel peppers, remove stems, seeds, and membranes.

6. 6

   Heat 1 tbsp olive oil (or oil from chipotle can) in a large pan over medium heat. Add all dried spices (cumin, paprika, oregano, cacao powder, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, clove) to the hot oil. Toast spices for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until very fragrant and smoking slightly (don't burn - cacao can turn bitter if overtoasted).

7. 7

   Add tomato paste to the toasted spices. Stir constantly and cook for 2-3 minutes until the paste darkens and caramelizes.

8. 8

   Add chopped chipotle peppers and adobo sauce directly to the pan with the tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute, stirring.

9. 9

   Add water and scrape up any browned bits from the pan.

10. 10

    Transfer the roasted peppers, garlic, ginger, and spice-tomato-chipotle mixture to a blender. Add tahini, remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, and lime juice. Blend until smooth (or leave slightly chunky if preferred).

11. 11

    Return sauce to pan and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.