Salsa de Congrejo

I love to eat crawfish; and, in my cooking, I have made a few etoufees and gumbos that feature the freshwater crustaceans.  A while back, I bought a bag of frozen crawfish, hoping to make a nice meal with it. (I don't have a good reliable source for fresh crawfish.) When I got around to deciding to make that meal, I found myself wanting something more than a bowl of gumbo. I wanted to try something different.

It got me thinking to another dish that I love to eat ... chapulines. There is something about grasshoppers marinated in a variety of spices, chiles and herbs that is very appetizing. The best chapulines recipes come, of course, from the Mexican State of Oaxaca. So, I decided that I would pursue the pages of Oaxacan recipes looking for a recipe that could serve as a starting point a crawfish dish. 

To be sure, there were a few recipes that caught my attention. The one that I decided to make was a Salsa de Chapulines. Perhaps it has been my recent craze in making Sambols - like Lunu Miris or Dried Shrimp Sambol - that got me thinking this salsa could have a variety of uses in other dishes. All I needed to do was to substitute the grasshoppers with crawfish. I would then have Salsa de Congrejo. 

This salsa is very easy to make as long as you have access to some good tomatillos, which you can find at most Latin American markets and even in some big name grocery stores. I did not have any morita chiles on hand, so I bought a can of chipotles and just made sure that I rinsed the adobo off of them. One could use dried or reconstituted chipotles if you have them, but the store-bought ones were more convenient to use. 

Now, I just need a good source for chapulines (spoiler -- I found one, check back for that post).

SALSA DE CONGREJO

Recipe adapted from Oaxaca, by Bricia Lopez and Javier Cabral

Serves a few

Ingredients:

• Generous one pound of tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup chopped white onion 
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 4 morita chiles (substitute chipotle chiles), stems removed
• 1/4 cup cooked and rinsed crawfish tails
• 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Directions:

1. Boil the tomatillos. In a 2-quart saucepan over medium high heat, combine the tomatillos and 1/2 cup water and heat to boiling. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and boil for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. until the tomatillos have changed color from a dark to a light green color. Set aside. 

2. Prepare the salsa. Heat the oil in a large pan over high heat. Add the onion and garlic, reduce the heat and mix well. Sauté until the garlic and onion are golden brown, then remove from the pan and reserve. Add the chiles to the pan and toast them for about 1 minute or until the color changes to a bright red. Remove from the pan and reserve. Add the crawfish tails and fry for about 3-4 minutes, until they are heated through. 

3. Finish the dish. In a blender, pure the tomatillos, chiles and garlic and onion mixture, 3/4 cup water and the salt. Stir in the lime juice. Pour into a bowl and add the crawfish tails. 

PEACE.

Grilled Mahi Mahi with Tomatillo Sauce

This post has been in the queue for a very long time.  Every time I look at it, I remember how much work I have to do on presentation.  I think the food that I cook is good, but it is not always very pretty looking.  This picture reminds me of that, namely because of how the sauce was ladled onto the Mahi-Mahi fillet.  This tomatillo sauce is very delicious, and it is something that could go well with not just fish fillets, but other seafood as well.  As delicious as this sauce is, I think I do it some disservice when it came to the presentation of the dish.  

In any event, I have previously blogged about the Mahi Mahi, but I have not really discussed the tomatillo. A green little fruit encased somewhat in a papery husk.  The fruit start out with a tangy note, but, as it ripens, the tomatillo becomes sweeter.  That is why you what to find and buy green tomatillos, and, preferably ones that are still in their husks.  The quality of the tomatillo can, in many ways, be shown by the state of the husk.  The husk should be a light brown, and it should not be dry or shriveled.  If you can find small tomatillos still in a husk, you are good to go when making a sauce such as the one that went with this Mahi-Mahi.

This recipe comes from a book entitled Wine & Food, which was written by Joshua Wesson.  The book provides recipes along with wine pairings, such as a Sauvignon Blanc or a white Rioja, which were the pairings suggested for this recipe.  

GRILLED MAHI MAHI WITH TOMATILLO SAUCE

Recipe from Wine & Food, pg. 61

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 or 4 tomatillos

4 green onions, about 6 inches of the green tops

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil, 

     plus oil for brushing

1 small clove garlic, finely chopped

1/2 small avocado, peeled and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup lightly packed chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon finely chopped jalapeno chile 

Kosher salt

4 mahi mahi filets (6-7 oz each)

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1.  Prepare the grill.  Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct heat cooking over high heat or preheat the broiler.

2.  Prepare the vegetables.  Discard the papery husks from the tomatillos, rinse them under cold water and pat them dry with paper towels.  Brush the tomatillos and green onions with 1 teaspoon of oil and place on the grill rack.  Cook the vegetables, turning once or twice, until lightly charred on both sides, 4-5 minutes total for the onions, and 6-8 minutes total for the tomatillos.  The tomatillos will have softened and started to release their juices.  

3.  Prepare the sauce.  Transfer the tomatillos to a food processor and the green onions to a cutting board.  Coarsely chop the onions and add to the food processor along with the garlic, avocado, cilantro, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Process until the mixture is smooth.  Transfer to a bowl, then taste and adjust the seasoning with lime juice and/or salt. 

4.  Prepare the fish.  Lightly brush the fish fillets on both sides with oil and then season on both sides with salt and pepper.  Place the fillets on the grill rack.  Cook, turning once about halfway through cooking until opaque throughout when tested with a knife tip, 8-10 minutes total.    

5.  Finish the dish.  Transfer the fillets to warmed individual plates.  Spoon the sauce over the fish, dividing evenly and serve right away.

ENJOY!

Leg of Lamb Barbacoa

It all began with the Taino, who were the native inhabitants of the West Indies.  They took their meat, marinated it with herbs and spices, and then cooked it over an open fire.  The Taino called their cooking "barabicu," which translates into sacred pit.  

Enter the Portuguese, Spanish and English.  As explorers made their way through the West Indies, they encountered the Taino and their way of cooking.  The Spanish brought that cooking method to what is now known as Mexico, where it took root and ultimately became barbacoa.

True barbacoa involves the slow roasting of meat over a fire, usually in a pit lined with leaves from the agave plant.  The meat would be served with one of the many moles or salsas that are well known in Mexican cuisine. 

I have always wanted to make barbacoa.  However, there were some obstacles.  First, my beautiful wife would not look very kindly upon myself digging a pit in the backyard to cook meat over a flame.  Second, even if I took the time to dig that pit, I don't have any agave leaves to line that pit in order to cook the meat.  Third, even if I had dug a pit and lined it with agave leaves, I probably would have been too tired to cook and would have went to Chipotle to get barbacoa soft tacos. (Interestingly, I have never had barbacoa at Chipotle; instead, I rather have the carnitas.)

In any event, I have always wanted to make barbacoa.  Rather than dig a pit, I decided to use my smoker.  I have also wanted to smoke some lamb.  Given the multitude of lamb barbacoa recipes, this provided the perfect opportunity to check off a couple of things on my "to do" list. 

I found a recipe for lamb barbacoa on the Saveur website, which also included a very interesting and delicious tomatillo sauce.  The combination of tomatillos and jalapeno peppers usually results in a good sauce that works well with a wide range of proteins, from beef to lamb, and even chicken or turkey.  In this case, the combination of ingredients made a great salsa that worked very well with the lamb (as well as the steak that I had a few days later).  

One note about this dish.  The Saveur recipe called for the use of lamb shoulder.   Sometimes, I have a hard time finding lamb shoulder at the stores around where I live.  Leg of lamb, however, is plentiful.  I also happen to really like leg of lamb because, if you cook it right, it is amazing.  Even if you overshoot the temperature (which I did a little in this case), the meat can still be tender and juicy. After it was cooked, I chopped the meat for use with soft tacos, as well as sliced some of the leg for lunches at work.

LEG OF LAMB BARBACOA

Recipe adapted from Saveur

Serves Many

Ingredients (for the lamb):

1/4 cups distilled white vinegar

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 dried guajillo or similar chiles, stemmed and seeded

5 garlic cloves, chopped

2 whole cloves

2 whole allspice berries

1/4 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped

1 leg of lamb, about 5 pounds

Freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients (for the tomatillo salsa):
1/4 pound of tomatillos, husked and rinsed
4 cloves of garlic
2 medium yellow onions, quartered
2 jalapeno peppers ,stemmed
1 teaspoon sugar
1 bunch cilantro, stemmed
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Marinate the lamb.  Puree the vinegar, salt, oregano, cinnamon, chiles, garlic, cloves, allspice and onion in a blender.  Season lamb with salt and pepper on a baking sheet and rub all over with the chile puree.  Refrigerate overnight. 

2.  Make the tomatillo salsa. Place the tomatillos, garlic, onions and jalapenos in a four quart saucepan and cover with water by one inch.  Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until slightly soft, about 5 minutes.  Drain vegetables and reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.  Puree boiled vegetables, reserved liquid, sugar, cilantro, salt and pepper in a blender.  Set aside.

3.  Smoke the lamb.   Prepare the smoker and the fire until the temperature is between 225 and 250 degrees Fahrenheit.  Place the lamb, fat side up in the smoker and add a piece or two of mesquite wood for the smoke.  Cook until a thermometer reads 190 degrees Fahrenheit.  Remove, let rest and then shred the lamb.  Serve with corn tortillas, the tomatillo salsa and other accompaniments.

ENJOY!

Chile Rubbed Salmon with Tomatillo, Jalapeno Pepper and Lime Juice

As I continued preparing a wonderful Valentine's dinner for my beautiful Angel, Clare, I had to think of a main course.  Clare loves salmon and, due to her pregnancy, she has not been able to eat as much of it as she would like.  All of the pregnancy guidelines say that it is important to eat certain fish.  Salmon is one of those fish, provided that it is wild salmon rather than farmed salmon.  There are many issues with respect to farmed salmon, which are better left for another post.  Fortunately, I have a lot of access to wild sockeye salmon.  So, I purchased two six ounce fillets and began to work on the recipe.

I had planned on following the same approach to planning this course that I used when I made my Roasted Root Vegetable Soup.  I planned on choosing ingredients that would complement each other, as determined by The Flavor Bible.  However, as I perused the section on Salmon, I came across a dish prepared by Zarela Martinez for her restaurant.  The dish was "Salmon Rubbed with Ground Red Chile and Lime and Pan Seared.  Served with a Tangy, Spicy, Tomatillo, Jalapeno and Lime Juice Sauce.  The dish caught my attention, and, I decided to make it.  The only problem is that I did not have a recipe.

So this recipe is my first effort to create Martinez's dish.  I made estimates of the amount of each ingredients for the salmon and the sauce.  For the salmon, I used ground Hatch chiles for the rub, but ground ancho chile and even cayenne pepper could be used.  For the sauce, I used a couple tomatillos with some onion, shallot and garlic to help add flavors and body to the sauce.  I did not add any more spices or herbs (other than salt and pepper) to keep the sauce rather simple. Finally, I decided to pair this dish with some saffron rice, which is just ordinary rice with a pinch of saffron added during the boiling stage.  

Overall, I think this dish worked out very well.  The sauce may need a little more work, especially with respect to consistency.  (The consistency of sauces continues to be an area that I need to develop.)  The flavor was there and it worked very well with the not only the salmon, but also the rice. 

CHILE RUBBED SALMON WITH TOMATILLO,

JALAPENO PEPPER AND LIME JUICE SAUCE

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 six-ounce sockeye salmon fillets

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil or canola oil

3 tomatillos, de-husked, and diced

1 jalapeno pepper, diced

1 yellow onion, diced

1 shallot, diced

2 cloves of garlic, diced

1 teaspoon of dried oregano

2 cups of rice, made according to instructions

2 limes, juiced

1 pinch of saffron

Salt, to taste

Ground black pepper, to taste

Cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1.  Prepare the rice.  Prepare the rice according to the the instructions.  Before you begin to boil the water, add a pinch of saffron to the water.  Then continue as directed by the instructions.  

2. Prepare the sauce.  Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet.  Add the onions and saute until soft, about four to five minutes.  Add the shallot, garlic and oregano, saute for two minutes more.  Add the jalapeno pepper and saute for about three more minutes.   Season with a couple grinds of salt and pepper.  Add the tomatillos and continue to saute for about five to eight minutes, until the tomatillos begin to soften.   Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the ingredients to a blender.  Blend the ingredients until they are a liquid.  Tranfer the ingredients to a pot, season again with salt and pepper.  Cover and set aside. 

3.  Saute the salmon.  Heat the remaining oil in a pan.  Saute the salmon, skin side up, for about four minutes.  Flip the salmon and saute for about four minutes more or until done.  

ENJOY!

Mole Verde Zacatecano

I have reminisced in the past about moles, those wonderful sauces that are most commonly associated with Mexican cuisine.  Three Mexican States lay claim to the origin of the mole ... Oaxaca, Puebla and Tlaxcala.  However, moles have come an integral part of not just the cuisine of these three states, but also other Mexican states, including the central Mexican State of Zacatecas.

Zacatecas lacks many of the resources of other Mexican states, which is reflected in Zacatecan cuisine.  For example, the moles of Oaxaca or Puebla may have more than a dozen, wideranging ingredients.  By contrast, the moles of Zacatecas are far more minimalist.  These moles use only a handful of ingredients, most of which are relatively common, such as cilantro, tomatillos, onions, and jalapenos.

For these reasons, a Zacatecan mole provides a good starting point for a cook like myself.  My goal, at some point in the future, is to make the seven moles of Oaxaca.  However, before undertaking such a challenge, I need some practice.  There is no better way to practice than with a simplified version of the mole.  Not only did this dish teach me about the ingredients and processes used to make a mole, but it reminded me that oftentimes, something simple can be just as delicious, if not more, than a complicated dish. 

MOLE VERDE ZACATECANO

Adapted from Saveur.com

Serves 4

Ingredients (for the Chicken):

3–4-lb. whole chicken, cut into 4-8 pieces

1/2 cup chopped cilantro stems

2 tbsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. whole black peppercorns

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 bay leaf

Ingredients (for the Mole):

8 oz. tomatillos, peeled and chopped

2 jalapeños, stemmed and chopped

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

2 tbsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 8″ flour tortillas, toasted

3 tbsp. canola oil

Directions:

1. Cook the chicken.   Place the chicken, along with the cilantro, salt, peppercorns, garlic, onion, bay leaf, and twelve cups water, in a 6-qt. saucepan and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered and stirring occasionally, until chicken is tender, about thirty minutes.

2.  Reserve the cooking liquid.  Remove chicken from saucepan and strain liquid through a fine strainer; reserve 4 cups, and save remaining liquid for another use. Set chicken and liquid aside.

3.  Begin the mole.  Heat tomatillos and jalapeños in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until darkened and thick, about ten minutes. Transfer to a blender with cilantro, salt, garlic, tortillas, and one cup reserved cooking liquid; puree.

4. Continue to make the mole.  Heat oil in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat; add tomatillo sauce and fry, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a paste, about five minutes. Whisk in remaining cooking liquid and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, until reduced and thickened, about thirty minutes.

5.  Finish the dish and plate.  Add chicken pieces and cook until heated through, about ten minutes. Serve with Mexican rice and tortillas.

ENJOY!