Fresh Mexico_ 100 Simple Recipes for True Mexican Flavor - Marcela Valladolid [38]
Melt the butter with the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the serrano chile and cook for 1 minute, or until the chile is beginning to brown. Add the beans and the cooking liquid. Cook over medium heat, mashing the beans frequently, until they form a thick paste, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
SAGE AND SWEET POTATO MASH
SERVES 4 TO 6
2 pounds sweet potatoes
1 cup whole milk, warmed to lukewarm
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ cup chopped fresh sage
4 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sweet potatoes cooked in piloncillo (unrefined solid cane sugar, usually found in the shape of small truncated cones) are sold as candy at Mexican mercados. They are way too sweet for me, but there’s no denying the spud’s versatility. Here I highlight their savory flavor by mashing sweet potatoes with a little butter and sage in a great fall dish that works well with roasted turkey. Feel free to use skim milk instead of whole milk, if you must, but keep that stick of butter!
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the sweet potatoes and boil for 25 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain and let cool slightly.
Peel the potatoes and transfer the flesh to a large bowl. Mash in the milk and 7 tablespoons of the butter. Set aside.
Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter with the oil in a small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sage and garlic and cook for 4 minutes, or until fragrant. Stir this into the potato mixture. Season the mash to taste with salt and pepper. (The mash can be prepared 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Stir in a saucepan over medium-low heat, adding more milk if necessary, until heated through.)
POBLANO RICE GRATIN
SERVES 4
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ cup minced white onion
1 cup long-grain white rice
Kernels from 2 ears fresh corn
2 poblano chiles, charred, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
¼ cup Mexican crema or sour cream
½ cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
This spicy, cheesy rice dish was served on a regular basis at my parents’ house. It’s also perfectly delicious if you prefer to omit the crema and cheese and just serve the poblano rice on its own, saving you a few calories.
Heat the oil in a medium-size heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the rice and cook for 10 minutes, or until the rice is opaque. Add 2 cups water and the corn kernels, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
Meanwhile, preheat the broiler on high.
When the rice is cooked, fluff it with a fork and stir in the chopped poblanos. Transfer the rice to a 7 x 10-inch glass baking dish. Drizzle with the crema, and sprinkle the cheese all over the rice. Broil for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the top is browned in spots and the cheese has melted.
ANCHO AND PINE NUT RICE
SERVES 4 TO 6
3½ cups chicken broth
2 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
¼ cup whole milk
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup pine nuts
1½ cups medium-grain rice
This is one of my favorite ways to eat rice: spicy and with nuts! The spice from the chiles is perfectly balanced by earthy pine nuts. To cut down on the heat, you can always use one ancho chile instead of two, but I encourage you to try it with two the first time around. You might be surprised at how well the flavors work together. Because they are picked by hand, pine nuts can be expensive. Feel free to substitute chopped