Smoked Salmon "Cigars" with Yucca Fries and Dark Chocolate Mole

...that's "moh-lay," not mole like the critter outside that your dog is digging after in the back yard. Just wanted to make that clear.


Ingredients:
"Cigars"
   1 sheet puff pastry
   1 package (4.5 oz) smoked salmon
   Juice from 1 lemon
   Zest from 1 lemon
   Salt and pepper, to taste
   8 ounces cream cheese
Yucca Fries
   1 yucca root
   Oil for frying
   Seasoning salt
Dark Chocolate Mole
   Sesame oil
   1 onion, diced
   6 cloves garlic
   3.5 ounces dark chocolate
   28 ounces crushed tomatoes
   6 diced Guajillo peppers
   10 black peppercorns
   Oregano
   Cinnamon
   Cloves
   Allspice
   Thyme
   Fennel seeds
   1 tortilla, shredded


Directions:
"Cigars"
   Combine cream cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest, reserving a little bit of the zest for later.  Add salt and pepper to taste; mix thoroughly.  Cut puff pastry in approximately 2" x 4" rectangles.  Put a strip of salmon on the pastry.  Spread a spoonful of the cream cheese mixture on top of the salmon.  Roll up.  Bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes or until the pastry starts to brown a little bit.

Dark Chocolate Mole
   In a medium-sized sauce pot, sauté the onion in sesame oil.  When the onions are clear in color, add all the other ingredients, adding the spices to taste.  Simmer for at least 45 minutes.

Yucca Fries
In a large pot, heat the oil to medium-high heat.  Peel the yucca root and slice with a mandoline into fry shapes (this can be done with a knife, but it's a bit more work).  When the oil is hot, add the fries and stir occasionally until fries start to brown a little bit.  Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and onto a plate with a paper towel.  Sprinkle with seasoning salt.


Serve the cigar in a pool of mole.  Place a few fries on top of the cigar.  Garnish with the remaining lemon zest and shaved dark chocolate if desired.