Tezmoles are a traditional dish from the Mazateca region of Oaxaca. They are often prepared in association with spiritual ceremonies.
- some of the more unusual ingredients for ‘Tesmole de pollo mazateco‘ are achiote paste, yerba santa leaves and chiltepe chiles.
achiote paste, yerba santa leaves and chiltepe chiles, a few of the ingredients for Tesmole
- start by boiling 8 sets of chicken thighs and legs in 10 cups of salted water along with 1/3 onion and a couple of garlic cloves at low heat for a couple of hours.
- chiletepe chiles for Tesmole de Pollo
chiles for Tesmole de Pollo
- if you can’t find 20 chiletepe chiles for the Tesmole de Pollo, then substitute 12 guajillo chiles and eight chiles de arbol.
substitute chiles for the Tesmole de Pollo if you can’t find chiletepes
- dried yerba santa leaves for the Tesmole de Pollo. They have a peppery/licorice smell with a pungent overlay of something (kerosene maybe?). Tarragon is probably the best substitute.
yerba santa
- the chiles are soaked for 15 minutes, strained and then added to the blender along with a cup of chicken broth, 1/4 tsp of achiote paste and the yerba santa leaves. The blended mix is added back into the pot with the chicken and broth
into the blender
- the corn flour is mixed with water to form a dough; the masa dough is then mixed with more water to form a runny mix
the masa dough is mixed with more flour to act as a thickener
- the runny masa mix is added to the Tesmole de Pollo for thickening
- Tesmole de Pollo Mazateco served over rice
Tesmole de Pollo over rice, Oaxaca-style
After lunch you might want to go to the the Oaxacan museo, it has an astonishing selection of artifacts from all over Mexico…
