One note about the mole sauce: I did the recipe as instructed, but by the time we had reached the end of it, the liquid in the pan was more of a brothy-soup consistency rather than a somewhat thicker (and more desireable!) sauce consistency. I strained the solids and put just the liquid back into a pan over high heat, and boiled it until the liquid reduced and got a bit thicker. It coated and clung to the meat better, plus the flavor was a bit more concentrated.
Shrimp Seviche
This couldn't be easier to make - just be sure to give yourself 12 hours of marinade time to make it right. Use the best cooked shrimp you can (we used tiger prawns which have a bit of natural sweetness). Easy and delicious.
1 lb. shrimp, peeled, deveined, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup lime juice, from roughly 6 to 8 limes
½ cup red onion, choped finely
½ teaspoon allspice, ground
½ teaspoon black pepper, ground from peppercorns
1 jalapeno, chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
2 teaspoons vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt, to taste
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and cubed
Make the marinade by combining the lime juice, ground allspice, freshly ground peppercorns and red onion. Marinate the shrimp in this mixture in the fridge for 12 hours.
Drain the shrimp and combine it with the jalapeno, cilantro, vinegar and olive oil. Add the salt and avocado cubes and mix through gently. Serve in a glass or on a leaf of lettuce.
Simple Red Mole with Meat, Fowl and Fruit
I didn't take a picture of this one (I forgot) but it tasted really good. It comes from the center of Mexico (Oaxaca) but brings some almost Caribbean flavors to it with the pineapple and banana. The fruit was a really nice, sweet counterpoint to the mellow spice. Be sure to reduce the liquid until it is saucelike.
6 ancho chiles, stemmed, deseeded, deveined
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ cup onion, chopped
5 garlic, cloves, peeled and halved
1 lb. lean pork shoulder, boneless, cut into two-inch squares
1-¼ lb. large chicken breast, whole, half-boned and halved
2 cloves
3 black peppercorns
½ cinnamon stick
2 white bread, firm slices, broken up
1 teaspoon salt, plus more, if necessary
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 cup pineapple, fresh, cored, peeled and cubed
1 plantain , ripe (or substitute 2 green bananas)
1-½ tablespoon sugar
1. The chiles. Tear the chiles into flat pieces and toast them a few at a time on a griddle or heavy skillet over medium heat, pressing them down for a few seconds with a metal spatula, then flipping and pressing again; when they send up their aroma and change color, they're ready. Cover with boiling water, weight with something to keep them submerged, and soak for 30 minutes.
2. Browning the vegetables with meat. Fry the onion with 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat until soft, 6 or 7 minutes. Add the garlic and fry until the onion is quite brown, some 4 minutes longer. Transfer the onions and garlic to a blender jar (with a slotted spoon) leaving as much fat in the pan as possible. Raise the heat to medium-high and add more oil, if needed, to coat the pan. Dry the pork on paper towels, then brown it in an uncrowded single layer, 2-3 minutes per face; remove, draining well. Dry the chicken pieces , then brown them for 2-3 minutes per side, add to the pork and set skillet aside.
3. The sauce. Drain the chiles and add to the blender. Pulverize the spices in a mortar or spice grinder and add to the chiles, along with the bread and one cup of water. Stir, blend to a smooth puree, and strain through a medium-mesh sieve. If necessary add a little oil to the skillet to coat, then set over medium-high heat. When quite hot, add the puree all at once and fry, stirring constantly, for 4 or 5 minutes, until darkened and thick, dislodging any bits that earlier may have stuck to the pan.
4. Finishing the dish. Scrape the chile mixture into a large saucepan, stir in 2 cups of water, the salt, vinegar and pork. Partially cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 45 minutes to an hour, until the pork is tender. Add the chicken and pineapple, cover, and simmer for 13 minutes. While the chicken is cooking, heat a tablespoon of oil in a medium small skillet over medium heat. Peel and cube the plantain (or banana), then fry until browned, 3 or 4 minutes, and add to the pot. Stir in the sugar, taste for salt and thin with a little water if the sauce has thickened past a medium consistency; the flavor should be slightly sweet and fruity. Remove from the heat immediately and serve on warm, deep dinner plates.
Kahlua and Rum Flan
Important note: This makes 10 servings. We cut it in half and it worked just fine. The caramel is a bit tricky to work with but stick with it, and even though you may not get the hot caramel to coat the sides of the ramekin, it will still come out later like it's supposed to.
2 quarts milk
2 cup sugar, divided use
⅓ cup water
6 egg yolks
6 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cinnamon stick, 2-inch
2 teaspoons Kahlua
2 teaspoons rum , Jamaican, if available
1. Reducing the milk. Bring the milk and 1 cup of sugar to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the cinnamon stick. Regulate the heat so the mixture simmers briskly without boiling over; stirring regularly, let reduce to 1 quart, about 45 minutes.
2. The mold(s) and hot water bath. Set 10 custard cups or a large mold in a baking pan deep enough to hold two inches of water. Put a teakettle of water onto heat, preheat the oven to 350F and position the rack in the middle.
3. The caramel. Put one cup of sugar into a small, heavy saucepan, dribble in the 1/3 cup of water (first around the sides, then over the sugar) and stir several times. Bring to a boil, wash down the sides of the pan with a brush dipped in water, then simmer over medim heat, without stirring, until the syrup begins to color. Swirl the pan continually over the heat until the syrup is an even, deep amber. Immediately pour the caramel into the mold (or divide amongst the molds) then tilt and rotate to completely coat the bottom and sides.
4. The custard. Beat the eggs, yolks, vanilla, Kahlua and rum in a large bowl until liquidy. Slowly beat in the hot, reduced milk, strain through a fine-mesh sieve (to remove any membranes or milk 'skins') then pour into the mold(s).
5. Baking the flan. Fill the baking pan containing the custard(s) with 2 inches of simmering water, cover lightly with foil and bake until the custard has set (a knife inserted near the center will come out clean), about 30 minutes for individual molds, 40-50 minutes for the large one. Remove from the oven and let cool in the water bath (the custard will set completely as it cools).
6. Unmolding the flan. For best results, thoroughly chill the cooled custard(s). Run a non-serrated knife around the edge, penetrating to the bottom, then twist the dish back and forth to ensure the custard is free from the mold. Invert a deep plate over the top, reverse the two and listen for the flan to drop. Individual custards may need a gentle shake from side to side to release any suction holding them in. If there still is caramel on the bottom of the mold, either scrape it onto the flan, or set the mold in very hot water until it softens enough to pour out.
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