Mexican Thanksgiving

If there's one thing in this world we love, it's good Mexican food. Well, it just so happens we have a few fellow US Navy officers stationed around here, who are good friends, and feel similarly about Mexican food.

So the menu was:

Starter: Black Bean Soup with Toasted Cumin Crema
Main: Homemade Chicken Tamales with Red Mole Sauce
Vanessa's Mexican Rice
Dessert: Mexican Hot Chocolate Ice Cream with Chili

(NOTE: Most of these ingredients can be ordered in the UK from Cool Chile Co. or MexGrocer, found online)

Soup. It is a Bobby Flay recipe which is really tasty and has a nice balance through the use of red wine (not a common Mexican cooking ingredient, mind you) which really works. The crema is a perfect accent.

Tamales. They are a labor of love, for sure. They can take awhile to make from start to finish, but they are are delicious. There are really four components to contend with :the masa dough, cooking and shredding the chicken, the mole (pronounced MO-lay) sauce, and the final assembly. It is an absolute holiday staple in Mexican households.

Vanessa's rice. Straightforward and delicious every time, it is fairly easy to throw together. Perfecting it with the right amount of cumin and such is where the real art is.

Ice cream. Mexican hot chocolate is awesome. If you've had it before, you know that it brings chocolate and cinnamon together in perfect harmony. I added just a hint of chili to get some warmth going, but not enough to make it spicy. A nice yummy end to the meal.

Margaritas. Accept no substitute and don't skimp on alcohol. Buy the good stuff, and you will be rewarded. Here is the super-easy recipe (DO NOT ALTER THIS RECIPE IN ANY WAY):

1 part FRESH-SQUEEZED lime juice from ACTUAL limes
1 part Cointreau or Grand Marnier (do NOT use triple sec or any other orange-flavored liqueur)
2 parts GOOD-QUALITY tequila (Patron and Sauza are good. Cuervo is acceptable)

Shake in a shaker with ice. Strain into a glass. Enjoy.

Hope you give some of these a try soon...


SOUP

1 lb. dried black beans, or 6 cups canned black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 medium Spanish onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 cup red wine
3 jalapeno chiles, roasted, peeled, and seeded
1 poblano chile, roasted, peeled, and seeded
4 cups Enriched Chicken Stock, low-sodium chicken broth, or water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

TOASTED CUMIN CREMA
8 ounces crema, creme fraiche, or sour cream
1 tablespoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE SOUP
If using dried beans, pick over them to remove any stones, put them in a large bowl, and add enough cold water to cover by at least 2 inches. Let soak for at least 8 hours or overnight. Drain well.

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrot, onion, and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Add the wine, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half.

Add the beans and reduce the heat to medium. Add the jalapenos, poblano, and stock and simmer for 30 minutes if using canned beans, or 1 to 1 1/2 hours if using dried, until the dried beans are cooked through.

Remove from the heat and add the lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Using a blender or food processor, puree half of the soup and return it to the pot (alternatively, use an immersion blender). Bring to a simmer before serving. Ladle the soup into individual bowls. Drizzle with the toasted cumin crema and top with a few tablespoons of each of the relishes. Serve immediately.

FOR THE TOASTED CUMIN CREMA
Put the crema in a small bowl, add the cumin and lime juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste.


TAMALES

MASA
24 dried corn husks
¼ cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen (thawed)
2 cups masa harina
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup CHICKEN STOCK
3 tablespoons lard or shortening, at room temperature

Place the corn husks in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Let soak for 2 hours. Meanwhile, puree the corn kernels in a food processor or blender. In a large bowl and using a wooden spoon, combine the masa harina, salt, and baking powder. Gradually add the hot water, stock or broth, pureed corn, and lard or shortening. Stir vigorously for 5 to 15 minutes, or until the dough is moist and pliable but not sticky. The consistency should resemble that of Play·Doh. (The longer you beat, the more air will be incorporated into the dough, making lighter-tasting tamales. Alternatively, you can make the dough in a standing mixer fitted with a paddle or dough hook. Beat the dough at high speed for 15 minutes.)

MOLE
5 ancho chile pods, stemmed and seeded
3 guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 tablespoons raisins
1 cup hot water
3 tomatoes
1 medium onion, quartered
3 cloves garlic
1 corn tortilla, torn into pieces
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
1 slice toasted bread
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried marjoram
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon lard or olive oil
1 stick cinnamon
1 avocado leaf, optional
salt and black pepper
1 chicken, poached until done, meat picked off and shredded by hand

In a medium bowl, combine the chile peppers, raisins, and water. Let soak for 20 minutes, or until softened. Heat a comal or medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the tomatoes and roast, turning occasionally, for 8 minutes, or umil the skins are charred and blistered. Transfer to a plate. Add the onions and garlic to the pan. Roast, turning occasionally, for 8 minutes, or until slightly charred. Transfer to the plate with the tomatoes. Add the tortilla pieces to the pan and roast, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Transfer to the plate. Separately add the sesame seeds and almonds to the pan and roast, stirring often, for 2 minutes each, or until lightly browned.

Drain the chile peppers and raisins. Working in batches, combine the chile peppers, raisins, tomatoes, onions, garlic, tortilla pieces, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the sesame seeds, the almonds, bread, oregano, marjoram, and cloves in a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth.

Heat the lard or oil in a large deep saucepan over medium heat. Add the pureed tomato mixture, cinnamon stick, and avocado leaf (if using). Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until thick and fragrant. Add the reserved stock and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.

Add the shredded chicken and mix through to heat and combine. This is the filling for the tamales.

TAMALES
24 dried corn husks, soaked in water for 2 hours

ASSEMBLY
Place 1 of the corn husks flat on a work surface, tapered end toward you. Mound 3 heaping tablespoons of the masa mixture in the center of the top half of the corn husk. (The mound should be oblong and be about 3 inches square.) Make a shallow groove the length of the corn mixture. Place a spoonful of the filling mixture (with not too much sauce) in the groove. Pinch the sides of the groove together to encase the filling. Roll the corn husk over the top to enclose the filling. Fold the bottom (pointy end) over the top end to encase the tamale. Tie the bundle using strips of corn husk for string. Repeat to use the remaining corn husks and filling.

Insert a steamer basket into a large pot. Add 1" of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stack the tamales to the basket, cover, and simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the dough is set and comes away easily from the corn husks when tested. Remove the string before serving.

MEXICAN RICE
3 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon chicken flavor base
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
½ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cups white rice
½ green or red bell pepper, sliced
¼ onion, sliced
1 tablespoon cumin

Combine the tomatoes, chicken base, garlic, and salt in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the water and blend well.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until It begins to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the bell pepper and onion and allow to cook for 2 to 3 more minutes until tender. Drain off any excess oil.

Add the tomato mixture and cumin to the rice and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 2 cups hot water, stirring well, then cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes longer.

ICE CREAM
500 milliliters whole milk
284 milliliters double cream
216 milliliters milk
1 tablet Abuelita or other Mexican chocolate, melted in a little milk
6 egg yolk
6 tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar, divided
1 teaspoon chile de arbol powder or 1/2 tsp cayenne

Combine the milks, cream and 3 tablespoons of the sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar together until a pale yellow. Add the melted chocolate and fold in.

Once the milk mixture has reached a simmer, slowly add a third of it to the egg yolk mixture, stirring rapidly, to temper the yolk mixture. (NOTE: if you dump the hot milk mixture in too fast, it will scramble and cook the eggs. You're looking to gradually raise the temperature of the eggs here. You don't WANT to scramble them)

Return the now heated egg mixture back to the milk mixture in the saucepan. Bring back to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and cook for about 10 minutes, until nice and smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Transfer to an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's directions. Freeze until needed, allowing 15 minutes to thaw before scooping.