The day before, slit the chiles open with a knife and remove the seeds and veins, reserving at least 1/2 tablespoon of the seeds. Heat the shortening and quickly fry the chiles on both sides. Take care that they do not burn, and be careful how you inhale the fumes, unless you want a seared windpipe. Put the chiles into a bowl, cover them with water, and leave them to stand overnight.

On serving day: preheat the oven to 325 F. Cut the chicken into serving pieces. Set the giblets aside. Melt 3 tablespoons lard and brown the chicken pieces well. Drain off the excess fat. Cover the pan and braise the chicken in the oven, without liquid, until it is tender-40 to 60 minutes, depending on toughness. Put the giblets into the pan with the rest of the ingredients. Cover them with water and bring them to a boil. Lower the flame and simmer for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours. Strain the broth and set it aside.

When the chicken is cooked, pour off the juices in the pan and set them aside to cool, then skim off the fat and add them to the giblet broth. Set it aside. Blend the chiles with the water until smooth-you may have to do them in two or three lots but try not to add more water. Melt the shortening, and when it is hot but not smoking, cook the chili puree over a medium flame for about 10 minutes, stirring it all the time. Keep a lid handy, as it will splatter about. Set it aside. Put the tomatillos in a blender or food processor.

Put the spices into a spice grinder and add the toasted, cooled seeds, reserving 2 tablespoons of the sesame seeds for later use. Grind the spices and seeds finely and transfer them to the blender jar. Add the toasted garlic to the blender jar.

Melt three tablespoons of shortening in the frying pan and fry the raisins briefly, just until they puff up, and transfer them with a slotted spoon to the blender jar. In the same pan fry the almonds, stirring them all the time, until they are well browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and crush them a little before adding them to the blender jar. In the same pan fry the pumpkin seeds lightly, but have a lid handy, as they pop about explosively. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to the blender. In the same pan fry the tortilla until very crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and crush it a little before adding it to the blender. In the same pan fry the bread until crisp, then remove with a slotted spoon and crush. Add it to the blender jar. Blend all the ingredients together until they form a smooth paste. If it is absolutely necessary to add some liquid to blend it effectively, then add a little chicken broth.

Add the blended mixture to the chile sauce and cook over a brisk flame for about five minutes, stirring the mixture constantly. Break the chocolate into small pieces and add it to the mixture. Continue cooking the _mole_ for about 10 minutes more, stirring it all the time so it does not stick. Add the broth and continue cooking the _mole_ for a minimum of 40 minutes. Add salt as necessary, then add the chicken pieces and heat them through. Serve individually, sprinkled with some of the reserved toasted sesame seeds.

The Cuisines of Mexico Diana Kennedy