Method - Mole:

1. Begin by gently frying and toasting all your ingredients in batches. the only ingredients you're not frying/toasting is chocolate, salt, tequila and chicken stock. be careful not to burn anything to avoid unwanted bitterness
2. Onions are to be sauteed with chipotle and tomato paste, then flambe with tequila.
3. Once everything is fried/toasted/torched - rehydrate your de-seeded chillies then blend everything together using some of your chilli water. Your mole paste should be quite thick. Bring it back into large pot with some hot oil and then add your broth and bring to a gentle simmer.
4. Once simmering, add your salt and chocolate, stir until well incorporated. leave to simmer gently for 2 hours and check for seasoning/consistency. depending on how long you want to simmer, you may have to adjust salt & broth. The longer it's left to simmer, the more complex of flavour.
5. Blend and pass through a fine sieve.

Method - Pie:

1. Divide the pumpkin/squash into 2-3 parts and remove and seeds, drizzle with oil and some salt then wrap in foil and roast at 180c for approx 1 hour until it's tender and mushy.
2. Once it's cooked, melt the butter in a saucepan, we are going to take it to a Buerre noisette consistence (burnt butter in French, where the milk solids seperate, caramalise, and turn a golden-brown colour, giving it a nutty flavour). Once at that stage, add your pumpkin/squash and press down with a fork, creating a sort of crushing texture.
3. Add your mushrooms, season with salt, Shio Koj liquid, Ember seasoning and cook down until there is no liquid.
4. In a seperate pan, cook your spinach on a low heat, the spinach will wilt and break down. Once cooked, push/squeeze your spinach through a sieve to remove any excess liquid (this ensures the mix isn't too wet as this will seep through pastry and become soggy.
5. Add your spinach to your pumpkin/squash mix and fold together. Place in the fridge for 1 hour. The butter added at the sgart will help it to set and solidify - ensuring easy portioning.
6. Assembling the pies...
7. Cut pastry into large squares (approx 14cm x 14cm). Egg wash all four sides, place 50g pumpkin/squash mix in the centre.
8. Fold the bottom left corner over the pastry over to the top right corner (diagonally). It should resemble a triangle. press down with your hands gently to release any air pockets. It will look like a ravioli.
9. Grab a bowl or cutter and dip the edge in flour. place over the pie and press down, it will resemble a half moon, so all the edges are one smooth curve now rather than a triangle. dip a fork in flour and press around curved edge to seal around the pie.
10. Brush over top surface of pie with egg wash and cook at 180c for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
11. Serve with mole and a dollop of creme fraiche.