Real Food: Pickled Peppers
No-excuse method for preserving fresh jalapeño and bell peppers..
Recipe adapted from Michael Symon’s Live to Cook..
1 pound fresh peppers
2 1/2 cups filtered water
2 1/2 cups vinegar
3 tablespoons coarse sea salt
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
Place 1 lb of cut peppers into a sterile, quart-sized canning jar.
Boil the remaining ingredients together for 5-10 minutes, then let cool another 5 minutes.
Pour the brine into the jar. If necessary, weigh the peppers down to keep them submerged.
Allow to cool on the counter overnight before transferring to the refrigerator for up to several months.
Real Food: Bacon & Eggs with Toast
Here’s a tasty variation of the classic shirred eggs.. local, pastured bacon, farm fresh eggs, raw milk cheddar cheese, tomato and jalapeño baked in an organic oat bread cup..
Grease ramekins (or a large muffin tin) with butter. Press a slice of bread into and up the sides of the well. Bake in a 400 degree oven until lightly toasted, then set aside.
Meanwhile, fry bacon seasoned with smoked pepper until just under done but still pliable. Allow to cool enough to handle.
Form the bacon into a ring, encircling the inside of the toast near the top.
Put a little shredded cheese into the bottom of the cup, then crack 2 large eggs over the cheese.
Garnish with a split cherry tomato and some chopped, pickled jalapeño and bake in the oven until the eggs are set to the consistency that you like. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes before transferring to a plate.
Codornices de Michella
In honor of my beautiful ‘Ella.. Pan-seared quail with guajillo honey glaze, mole negro Oaxaqueno and papaya jalapeño rice.
Split, stem, seed, toast and reconstitute 3 dried guajillo and 1 ancho pepper. When soft, purée with a little of the soaking water, olive oil, honey, toasted cumin, cinnamon and sea salt. If more heat is desired, add 1 or 2 chiltpín peppers. Marinate the quail in this mixture for 1/2 a day, turning occasionally.
Make the black mole 4 hours ahead. The mild, fruity chilhuacles negros are rare and expensive compared to other dried chiles, but they are the key ingredient, so use them if you can.
Make a Spanish rice in the usual fashion, adding minced fresh jalapeño, papaya and azafrán (Mexican saffron).
15 minutes before dinner, sear the birds in a little olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat until cooked medium, about 3-4 minutes per side. Baste with marinade during cooking.
Rating ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Seared Sea Scallops with Roast Red Pepper Purée, Toasted Corn Salsa
If buying fresh or “previously frozen” sea scallops from the grocery store, be sure to ask for “dry scallops”. “Wet scallops” are treated with sodium tripolyphosphate to make them appear whiter and plumper; they won’t brown properly, and are likely to have a rubbery texture and off taste. The same applies for frozen scallops- avoid anything containing salt or STP (sodium tripolyphosphate).
Roast red bell peppers in the oven or over an open burner until blackened. Close in a paper bag for several minutes to loosen the skin. When cool enough to handle, split the peppers and remove the skin, stem, seeds and ribs. Purée the remaining mass with one or two pequin peppers (careful, these are very hot- you don’t want to overwhelm the delicate flavor of the scallops) and a little olive oil. Season with S&P and set aside.
Make a salsa of dry-toasted fresh corn, tomatoes, scallions, 1/2 finely minced jalapeno, lime juice and S&P.
Pat the scallops dry and sear in a little butter and olive oil over medium-high heat until browned but still opalescent in the middle, about 1 1/2 minutes per side, depending on the size.
Rating ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ +
Arroz con Habichuelas y Nopalitos
Red Beans and Rice with Prickly Pear Cactus
Dried red beans and rice, hot sauce, dried herbs and spices with bell peppers, S&P, Mexican oregano, tomato, red onion, olive oil, garlic, jalapeno and a cactus paddle.
Prepare the rice and beans according to package directions or even better, make your own.
Meanwhile, prep the vegetables. 10 minutes before the rice is done, saute all but the cactus until tender, about 4 minutes.
Grill the cleaned cactus paddle for 2-3 minutes per side until fork-tender. Take care not to overcook.
Fold all the vegetables into the bean and rice mixture and cook another 2 minutes to distribute flavors.
Serve topped with a squeeze of lime, queso bola and hot sauce.
Rating ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
