Here is MasterChef winner Jake Kelley’s “Holy Mole” from the MasterChef: Global Gauntlet Season 16 that just finished last month on September 16, 2026.
The dish includes Pan-roasted Duck Breast, Mole Poblano, Mexican Red Rice, and Cilantro Lime Sauce.
The shaved truffle was left out as the judges (and his girlfriend) said they shouldn’t be there. There was also one morel mushroom on the plate that nobody talked about on the show. I left that out too.
I used Michael Hultquist’s mole recipe on Chili Pepper Madness, and the Mexican rice recipe from Flavorful Eats, which I’ve made many times before as I think it is the best recipe for Mexican rice – with a secret ingredient that no one else uses.
Mole recipes typically make enough mole to last the rest of the year. I edited both recipes to yield two servings. The original mole recipe makes 64 servings. Just sliding the scale down to two doesn’t really work as you get things like 0.19 guajillo peppers. I re-did it so the quantities make sense, the recipe works, and it tastes delicious. You will have a little extra on the mole sauce. This mole sauce took me three hours, and the flavor makes it worth every minute. How Jake did his in 30 minutes, I have no idea, but we’re not on a clock in a competition here. Let’s make something that is going to taste phenomenal.
I used Bell & Evans duck breasts from Whole Foods, which are HUGE at 10.55 oz each versus the Maple Leaf Farms duck breasts that are 7 oz each (Publix), and the Culver Duck Farms (Wild Fork) that are 6.4 oz. Also interesting is that Whole Foods is the only supermarket that has them fresh rather than frozen, and Bell & Evans is the only producer I found that distributes to retailers – only Whole Foods – around here. To get fresh duck otherwise, you have to order online and have them overnighted. The duck breasts are also Global Animal Partnership Step 2 certified with no antibiotics.
Two tricks for the duck: 1. Dry brine for 24 hours for added flavor and extra-crispy skin. 2. Freeze for 30 minutes to firm up the skin for easier crosshatch scoring.
If you want Jake’s plating exactly, you’ll need a 3″ diameter ring mold that is just shy of 1¾” tall.
Pan-Roasted Duck Breast
Ingredients
- 2 large duck breasts approximately 10.5 oz each
- Kosher salt for dry-brining
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Preparation
- Dry-brine: Pat the duck breasts dry. Season all over with kosher salt and place uncovered on a rack set over a tray in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
- Firm the skin for scoring: Transfer the duck breasts to the freezer for 30 minutes. They should firm up enough to make scoring easier without freezing solid.
- Score and season: Remove from the freezer. Score the skin in a crosshatch pattern, cutting through the fat without cutting into the meat. Add black pepper; go lightly with any additional salt because the duck has already been dry-brined.
- Prepare the skillet: Place the breasts skin-side down in a cold, dry 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Add cooking weights to get all of the skin touching the pan surface for even browning.
Cooking
- Set the burner to low or medium-low. Render the skin slowly, pouring off excess fat as needed.
- Begin checking the internal temperature after 8–10 minutes. Continue until the skin is deeply golden and crisp, and the duck's internal temperature is 125°F (52°C); rendering may take 15 minutes.
- Remove any heavy weight after the initial few minutes. Use only enough pressure to maintain contact if necessary.
- Check the internal temperature before flipping. Turn the breasts and cook the meat side briefly, only as needed.
- Rest skin-side up for 5–10 minutes before slicing across the grain, or leave unsliced like Jake did.
Notes
Mole Poblano
Ingredients
Chiles
- 2 guajillo chiles
- 1 pasilla chile
- 1 ancho chile
- 1 mulato chile
- About 1½ tsp reserved chile seeds
Toasted spices and seeds
- Reserved chile seeds
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
- ¼ tsp black peppercorns
- 2 whole cloves
- ⅛ tsp coriander seeds
- ⅛ tsp anise seeds
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp Mexican cinnamon
- 1 small bay leaf crushed
Fried ingredients
- 2 Tbsp lard or neutral oil plus extra as needed
- ¼ medium plantain
- 1 Tbsp raisins
- 1 Tbsp almonds
- 1 Tbsp peanuts
- 1 Tbsp raw pepitas
- ½ slice white bread
- ½ corn tortilla
Vegetables and finishing
- ¼ small white onion
- 1 large garlic clove
- 1 medium tomato roasted and peeled
- ¾ oz 21 g Mexican chocolate
- 1½ –2 cups chicken stock approximately
- Salt to taste
- ½ –1 tsp sugar optional
Instructions
- Toast the dried chiles briefly, about 30–60 seconds per side. Remove stems and seeds, reserving approximately 1½ tsp seeds. Soak chiles in hot water for 20–30 minutes.
- Puree chiles in a blender with about ¼ cup soaking liquid; strain.
- Toast the reserved seeds, sesame, peppercorns, cloves, coriander, anise, thyme, cinnamon and bay leaf. Grind finely.
- Fry the plantain, raisins, almonds, peanuts and pepitas in the fat. Remove. Fry bread and tortilla until golden.
- Cook the onion and garlic in the same pan. Puree in a blender with the fried ingredients, roasted tomato, ground spices and about ¾ cup stock. Strain, re-blending the solids with additional stock if needed.
- Heat a little fat in a saucepan. Add the chile purée and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring.
- Stir in the strained nut-and-seed mixture, Mexican chocolate and about ¾ cup stock.
- Simmer gently for 45–60 minutes, adding stock as needed, until rich and velvety.
- Season with salt. Add a tiny amount of sugar only if needed to balance any bitterness.
Notes
Mexican Red Rice
Ingredients
- ½ cup long-grain white rice
- 1½ tsp vegetable oil
- 3 Tbsp finely chopped yellow onion
- 1 small garlic clove minced
- 2½ Tbsp chopped tomato
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ¾ tsp ground cumin
- 1½ tsp tomato paste
- 1½ tsp Knorr Tomato Bouillon with Chicken Flavor
- 1½ Tbsp minced jalapeño optional
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add dry rice and toast, stirring frequently, for 4–5 minutes until lightly golden.
- Add onion, garlic and jalapeño. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add tomato, tomato paste and cumin. Cook for another minute.
- Add chicken stock and tomato bouillon. Bring to a boil; taste the liquid and adjust seasoning.
- Cover tightly, reduce heat to low and simmer for 18 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
- Fluff gently with a fork.
Notes
Cilantro-Lime Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ cup tightly packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
- 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- ½ tsp finely grated lime zest
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1½ Tbsp neutral oil such as grapeseed or avocado oil
- 1 Tbsp Mexican crema
- 1-2 Tbsp cold water as needed
- ¼ tsp salt plus more to taste
Instructions
- Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Prepare a bowl of ice water.
- Blanch cilantro for 10–15 seconds, then transfer immediately to the ice water.
- Drain and squeeze the cilantro fairly dry.
- Blend cilantro, lime juice, zest, garlic, oil, crema and salt until completely smooth.
- Add cold water a little at a time until the sauce is thick enough to hold a swipe on the plate.
- Taste and adjust lime and salt.
Notes
Plate in this order:
1. Spoon warm mole slightly left of center.
2. Mold the Mexican red rice behind the duck.
3. Place the duck on top of the mole, keeping skin facing up.
4. Swipe cilantro-lime sauce along the right side.
5. Finish with a few microgreens.
(Truffles and morel intentionally omitted.)
The mole and rice recipes are adaptations of the linked recipes, and the duck and cilantro-lime sauce are my reconstructions rather than verified recipes from the show.
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