Register recipes: May 8
Shrimp Seviche with Roasted Cactus
From “Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen”
Author’s notes: “I’ve mixed in a little roasted cactus, which I hope won’t dissuade you from heading to the kitchen with this recipe in hand. Cactus adds an unusual and enjoyable taste and texture, but easily could be omitted … the shrimp seviche looks dazzling on a crispy chip or tostada.”
1 lime, halved
1 pound medium-large shrimp (about 24), unpeeled
7 medium-size fresh cactus paddles (nopales), about 14 ounces total
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil for brushing cactus
Salt, about 1 tsp., plus some for sprinkling on the cactus
1 small red onion, finely diced
1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp. dried
1/2 tsp. dried oregano, preferably Mexican
2 to 3 fresh serrano or jalapeño chiles, finely chopped
2 medium-large ripe, round tomatoes, diced
3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
1 large, ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
Lettuce leaves for lining a serving bowl
Squeeze the juice from two lime halves into a medium-sized saucepan, then add the squeezed rinds and 1 quart of water. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes (this gives a nice limey flavor to your shrimp-poaching liquid.)
Raise the heat to high, add the shrimp, cover and let the liquid return to a full boil. Immediately remove from heat, hold the lid slightly askew and drain off the liquid. Set the pan of shrimp aside, tightly covered, for 15 minutes to finish cooking, then spread them out on a tray to cool.
Peel the shrimp, then devein them by running a knife down the back and scraping out the (usually) dark intestinal tract. Cut the shrimp into 1/4 inch bits.
The cactus: Turn on the oven to 375 F. Holding a cactus paddle gingerly between the nodes of the prickly spines, trim off the edge that outlines the paddle, including the blunt ends where the paddle was severed from the plant. Slice or scrape off the spiny nodes from both sides. Cut into 3/4 inch squares; there will be about 3 cups.
Transfer the cactus to a baking sheet, toss with the oil, sprinkle with a little salt and roast, stirring occasionally, until tender and all exuded liquid had evaporated, about 20 minutes. (After 5 minutes in the oven, the cactus will begin to leak its sticky liquid. As it roasts, the liquid will evaporate.) Cool.
Mix the shrimp with the onion, lime juice, vinegar, thyme, oregano and chiles in a medium-sized bowl. Cover and let stand at room temperature up to 1 hour. Just before serving, stir in the cactus, tomatoes, cilantro and avocado, and season with salt, usually about 1 tsp. Line a decorative bowl with lettuce leaves, toss the seviche with its dressing, then scoop the mixture into the bowl and it’s ready to serve.
Makes 5 cups; serves 6 as a first course, more as an appetizer.
Note: The shrimp and cactus can be cooked a day or two in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator until you are ready to finish the dish.
‘Drunken’ Pintos with Cilantro and Bacon
From “Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen”
8 ounces dried pinto beans (about 1 1/4 cups)
1/2 cup cubed pork shoulder, about 2 ounces, or extra chopped bacon if you wish)
4 thick slices of bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 small white onion, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
Hot fresh green chile to taste (roughly 2 serranos or 1 jalapeño), stemmed
Salt, about 3/4 tsp.
1 1/2 Tbsp. tequila (plus more if you like)
1/4 c up roughly chopped cilantro
Rinse the beans thoroughly and scoop into a medium-sized pot (preferably a Dutch oven or Mexican earthenware olla.) Add 5 cups water, remove any beans that float, then add the pork shoulder or extra chopped bacon, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and very gently simmer, partially covered, until the beans are thoroughly tender, about 2 hours. You’ll need to gently stir the beans regularly and add water as necessary to keep the liquid a generous 1/2 inch above the level of the beans.
In a medium-sized skillet fry the bacon, (that is, the remaining bacon if you used some for the simmering) stirring regularly until crisp, about 10 minutes,. With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon, leaving behind as much dripping as possible. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons. of the drippings and return the pan to medium heat. Add the onions and chiles and fry until deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Scrape the onion mixture into the beans, then taste and season with salt. Continue simmering, stirring occasionally for 20-30 minutes to blend the flavors.
If the beans seem soupy, boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until the consistency of a nice, brothy bean soup. (An alternative here is to puree 1/4 of the beans in a food processor or blender, returning them to the pot to thicken the broth.)
Just before serving, stir in the tequila and cilantro, then serve in warm bowls topped with the crumbled bacon.
The beans can be cooked through step 2 several days ahead; refrigerate, covered.
Makes 4 cups; serves 4 to 6.
Rustic Jicama Appetizer with Red Chile and Lime
From “Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen”
1 medium jicama, about 1 pound
2 small cucumbers
3 seedless oranges
6 radishes, thinly sliced
Juice of 2 limes, (about 1/3 cup)
Salt, about 1/2 tsp.
About 2 tsp. powdered dried hot chile, preferably ancho or guajillo
About 2/3 cups pickled onion, optional
About 1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro, plus a few sprigs for garnish
Peel away the brown skin and fibrous exterior layer of the jicama, then cut in half. Lay each half on its cut side and slice cut 1/4 inch slices diagonally. Peel cucumbers and slice in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds (if there are a lot) and cut each half at an angle into 1/4 inch thick slices. Cut stem and blossom end off oranges, stand oranges on cutting board and working close to the flesh, cut away the rind and all the white pith. Cut oranges in half, then slice each half crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices.
Mix the jicama, cucumbers, oranges, radishes and lime juice in a large bowl. Let marinate about 20 minutes, then season with salt.
Pile the vegetables and fruit onto a serving platter and drizzle with any accumulated juices.
Sprinkle liberally with powdered chile, top with optional pickled onions and strew with chopped cilantro. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.
Serves 8.
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