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If you happen to be wine tasting at Mondavi soon, you'll notice the wine tasting ends with Rancho Gordo Black Bean and Chicken Mole Tostadas. I can tell you they are great and the perfect match for their 2004 Chardonnay Reserve. The staff at Mondavi were nice enough to share their recipe.

Vegetable Oil
6 (6-inch) tortillas cut and fried until crisped
8 ounces Rancho Gordo Black Valentine beans.
4 to 5 cups water
1 bay leaf
1/3 onion diced
1 large clove garlic
2 tsp ground toasted cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 whole chicken

Soak beans overnight in a large pot of water. In the morning, drain the beans and add fresh water. Cook beans for 1 hour or till tender with bay leaf. The drain, reserving the liquid. Sauté garlic and onion until translucent. Combine all ingredients with beans and some reserved liquid.

Boil chicken in water until done. Shred meat and moisten with mole sauce (recipe follows).

Top with crema, arugala and radish slice.

8 dried chiles negro
8 dried ancho chiles
6 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
6 whole cloves
6 juniper berries
2 fried corn tortillas
1 large onion quartered
3 or 4 cloves garlic
2 large tomatoes halved
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2 tbsp salt

Sauté onion, garlic and whole spices. Fry dried chiles in hot skillet until a little soft. Put chiles in a bowl and take out seeds. Save 1 tbsp of the chile seeds to add back in. Toast the sesame seeds in a pan until brown. Combine the ingredients and boil for 1/2 hour. Add chocolate and puree in a blender until smooth.

This recipe is ©2006 Robert Mondavi Winery. All rights reserved.