Black Bean Cakes With Sauteed Rock Shrimp And Mole Sauc P

RED MOLE SAUCE
12 Chiles guajillos or
-chilcostles
1/2 lb Tomatoes; stewed (about 2
; small)
4 tb Melted lard or safflower oil
1/4 c Sesame seeds
1 1/2 tb Dried oregano
2 Whole cloves
2 Whole allspice
1 md White onion; thickly sliced
9 sm Garlic cloves; peeled
1 Cinnamon stick; broken into
-thin
; strips (3-inch)
1 sm Ripe plantain; peeled and
-cut into
; thick rounds
3 sl French bread
1 oz Mexican chocolate
Sea salt to taste

In a saucepan, over medium heat, add a tablespoon of the oil. When
the oil is hot, add the onions. Season with salt and pepper. Saute
for 2 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the garlic, jalapenos and
black beans. Continue to saute for 1 minute. Add the water and bay
leaf. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and
cook until the beans are tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove from
the heat and cool completely and strain. In a food processor, fitted
with a metal blade, puree 3/4 of the mixture until smooth. Add water
if it becomes thick. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the
processor and turn into a mixing bowl. Stir the remaining beans into
the pureed beans. Season the flour, egg wash and bread crumbs with
Essence. Divide the mixture into eighths and form into individual
rounds, about 1-inch thick. Dredge each cake in the seasoned flour.
Dip each cake into the egg wash, letting the excess drip off. Dredge
the cakes in the seasoned bread crumbs, coating completely. In a
large saute pan, over medium heat, add the vegetable oil. When the
oil is hot, but not smoking, pan-fry until crispy, about 3 to 4
minutes on each side. In another saute pan, over medium heat, add the
remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the red onions and corn.
Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 4 minutes. Season the shrimp
with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp to the vegetables. Continue to
saute for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and remaining teaspoon of
garlic. Continue to saute for 2 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup of the Mole
Sauce. Remove from the heat and add the cilantro. Remove the cakes
from the pan and drain on paper towels. To serve, spoon the sauce in
the center of each plate. Place two cakes in the center of each
plate. Spoon the shrimp mixture over the cakes. Garnish with parsley.

Yield: 4 servings

RED MOLE SAUCE:

Remove the stems, if any, from the chiles, slit them open, and remove
veins and seeds. Toast the chiles on a hot comale for a few seconds
on each side, pressing them down until the inside flesh turns an
opaque, tobacco color. Rinse the chiles in cold water, cover with hot
water, and set aside to soak for about 15 minutes. Put the tomatoes
into a blender jar and blend briefly. Heat 1 tablespoon of the lard
and fry the sesame seeds for a few seconds until a deep golden brown.
Transfer with a slotted spoon, draining them as much as possible, to
the blender jar; add