Guava Mole With Chicken and Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Heat a large cast-iron skillet or comal over medium-low heat. Add guajillos and toast until the chiles start to darken in spots, turning often to prevent burning, about 5 minutes. Remove chiles (reserve pan) and transfer to a small saucepan, add enough water to cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn off heat, cover pan with a lid and let sit until the chiles are soft and pulpy, 20 minutes.

Add tomato, onion and garlic to the skillet or comal. Raise the heat to high and toast, turning a few times, until tomato and onions are blackened in spots, 10 to 14 minutes. Transfer tomato and onions to a medium bowl and reserve. Set garlic aside for a few minutes until cool enough to handle. Peel and combine garlic cloves with tomato and onion.

Heat ¼ cup oil in a large stockpot over medium-low heat. Add cinnamon, sesame seeds, oregano, cloves and peppercorns. Cook, stirring often to prevent burning, until sesame seeds turn golden brown and spices are aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add plantain and guavas and cook until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add half of the rehydrated guajillo chiles along with tomatoes, onion, garlic and 3 cups broth. Raise heat to medium-high. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and cook at a gentle simmer until guavas are soft and start to burst out of their skins, 10 to 20 minutes.

Working in batches, use a ladle to transfer the mixture along with the broth into a blender. Puree until smooth. Pass mixture through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Discard any solids. Repeat with remaining batches and combine batches in the large bowl. Taste and add remaining rehydrated chiles if you want more heat. If adding more chiles, return 2 cups of mole back to the blender and puree with the chiles until smooth.

Return the pot to medium-low heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and, when warm, carefully pour in the mole. It will vigorously bubble up, and you may want to partially cover with a lid until the bubbling has mellowed out, 1 or 2 minutes. Add ½ cup of the remaining broth and season with ½ teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons sugar, stirring frequently to prevent it from scorching. Cook, uncovered, at a gentle simmer for 20 minutes. The texture of the mole should be slightly thicker than heavy cream. Add remaining ½ cup chicken broth or more to thin it out if needed, and season with more salt or up to 1 more tablespoon sugar to taste.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sweet potatoes and 6 ounces guavas in a medium bowl. Toss with garlic, ¾ teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons oil. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Pat chicken dry and season with 2 teaspoons salt and black pepper on all sides. Add 2 tablespoons oil to a cold, large nonstick skillet. Add as much chicken as will fit in a single layer, skin side down, then turn on heat to medium-high. Cook until skin is golden crisp, 3 to 5 minutes, and place chicken on top of the sweet potatoes, skin side up. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Bake until skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breasts registers 160 degrees, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before separating drumsticks from thighs and slicing the breasts.

To serve, spoon a few tablespoons of the guava mole onto a plate and top with chicken, roasted sweet potatoes and guavas. Season with flaky salt. Serve with a side of warm corn tortillas and rice pilaf (optional).