1. THE GARLIC AND CHILES. Set a heavy ungreased skillet or griddle over
medium heat. Lay the unpeeled garlic on the hot surface and let it roast to
a sweet mellowness, turning occasionally, until soft when pressed between
your fingers (you'll notice it has blackened in a few small spots), about
15 minutes. Cool, then slip off the papery skins and roughly chop.
While the garlic is roasting, break the stems off the chiles, tear the
chiles open and remove the seeds. Next, toast the chiles a few at a time on
our medium-hot skillet or griddle; Open them flat, lay them on the hot
surface skin-side up, press flat for a few seconds with a metal spatula (if
the temperature is right you'll hear a faint crackle), then flip them. (If
pressed long enough, thy'll have changed to a mottled tan underneath. If
you see a slight wisp of smoke, that's okay, but any more will mean burnt
chiles.) Now, press down again to toast the other side. Transfer to a bowl,
cover with hot water and let rehydrate for 30 minutes, stirring regularly
to ensure even soaking. Pour off all the water and discard.
2. THE SEASONING. If using whole spices, pulverize the oregano, pepper,
cumin and cloves in a spice grinder or mortar then transfer to a food
processor or blender, along with the drained chiles and garlic. Measure in
the broth and process to a smooth puree, scraping and stirring every few
seconds. (If you're using a blender and the mixture won't move through the
blades, add more broth, a little at a time, unitl everything is moving, but
still as thick as possible.) With a rubber spatula, work the puree through
a medium-mesh strainer into a bowl; discard the skins and seeds that remain
behind in the strainer. Tast (it'll ahve a rough, raw edge to it), then
season with salt.
ADVANCE PREPARATION - Covered and refrigerated, the marinade will keep for
about 2 weeks; it also freezes well
OTHER CHILES YOU CAN USE - Though I want you to learn the unique flavor of
ancho by making this seasoning solo, it's very commonly made with half
ancho (for rich sweetness) and half guajillo (for tangy brightness); a few
chipoltes in the mix adds heat and complexity. Always substitue an
equivalent weight of chiles.
TRADITIONAL DISHES THAT USE THIS ESSENTIAL AS A STARTING POINT - Spice
Chile-Baked Oysters, Street-Style Red Chile Enchiladas, Simple Red Mole
Enchiladas, Chile-Glazed Sweet Potatoes, Red Chile Rice, Red Chile-Braised
Chicken, Ancho-Marinated Whole Roast Fish.
Suggested Wine: T
NOTES : If you take a few minutes to make this medium-spicy seasoning paste
from toasted, rehydrated ancho chiles, ssweet roasted garlic and spices,
you'll have a gold mine in the refrigerator. More versatile than salsas
(which are spooned on as condiments), this deep burgundy, almost fluffy
puree can be turned into the most complex dishes in the Mexican collection,
from slow-simmered, rich, red mole and quick-seard red-chile enchiladas to
garnet-colored rice. I even use it to flavor American style baked beans .
Start withthis seasoning to learn how to clean, toast, soak, puree and
strain dried chiles - it'll seem awkward if you haven't done it before, but
when you taste what the seasoning does to different dishes, you'll keep
making it until the process seems second nature
Posted to MC-Recipe Digest V1 #914 by "Karrie Brothers"
<K_Brothers@classic.msn.com> on Nov 18, 97
A Message from our Provider:
“Down in the mouth? It’s time for a faith lift”
How useful was this recipe?
Click on a star to rate it!
Average rating 0 / 5. Vote count: 0
No votes so far! Be the first to rate this recipe.
We are sorry that this recipe was not useful for you!