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Tacos get their Glamour on Seared duck with salsa verde and cherry compote. Achiote-marinated yellowtail with chipotle mayo. When you reinvent the taco at home, the sky's the limit.
LOS
ANGELES (By Amy Scattergood, LATimes) July 18, 2007 It's hard to pin down
what's great about a great taco. Is it the succulent, smoky carne asada?
The tender, charred hand-made tortilla? The sweet, ripe, spicy brightness of
pico de gallo? More likely it's the way all those things come together. Achiote-marinated fish tacos Total time: About 50 minutes, plus 1 hour marinating time Servings: 4 Note: The achiote paste recipe is adapted from "The Essential Cuisines of Mexico" by Diana Kennedy. Annatto seeds are available at Latino markets. Achiote paste 4 rounded tablespoons achiote seeds (also called annatto seeds) 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns 12 whole allspice Mix the spices and grind them in batches in an electric spice or coffee grinder as finely as possible. In a small bowl, stir together the ground spices and enough water to make a stiff paste; we used about 3 tablespoons. You will have more achiote paste than is called for in the recipe. Store it well-wrapped in plastic in the freezer. Chipotle mayonnaise 1 cup mayonnaise 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons lime juice 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 3 chipotle peppers in adobo, roughly chopped In a food processor or blender, blend the mayonnaise, garlic, oil, lime juice, salt and chipotle peppers. You will have more chipotle mayonnaise than is called for in the recipe. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use. Fish tacos 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 3 tablespoons achiote paste 1 pound yellowtail fillet, skin removed 1 tablespoon olive oil 8 small corn tortillas 1 cup finely shredded cabbage 1 cup chipotle mayonnaise 1 lime, cut into 8 wedges 1. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, salt and achiote paste. Put the mixture into a 1-gallon sealable plastic bag with the fish. Refrigerate for an hour. 2. On a cast-iron griddle or in a frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Scrape some of the extra achiote paste from the yellowtail, then grill the fish, about 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until done. If the fish is cooking too quickly or unevenly, adjust the heat as necessary. Let the fish rest for a few minutes before slicing it thinly across the grain; if the fish breaks apart, that's fine. 3. Warm the tortillas on a pan over medium heat; place on a platter or individual plates, two per person. 4. Divide the fish among the tortillas and top with shredded cabbage and a teaspoonful of chipotle mayonnaise. Serve immediately, with lime wedges. Each serving: 433 calories; 31 grams protein; 30 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams fiber; 22 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 68 mg. cholesterol; 345 mg. sodium. Duck tacos with chile-cherry compote Total time: About 1 hour, plus 1 hour marinating time Servings: 4 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided 1 1/2 pounds boneless duck breasts, skin on 10 dried chiles de arbol 6 ounces dried Bing cherries 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 5 cloves garlic, minced, divided 1/2 cup diced onion 6 tomatillos, husks removed, coarsely chopped 8 small corn tortillas Finely chopped fresh cilantro for garnish 1. Rub 1 teaspoon of the salt into the duck breasts, place them in a large sealable plastic bag and refrigerate for 1 hour while you make the sauce. 2. Soak the chiles de arbol and dried cherries in 2 cups of boiling water for about 30 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid. In a food processor, combine the drained chiles and cherries with one-fourth cup olive oil, one-half teaspoon salt and 2 cloves of the minced garlic. Process to a thick paste, adding a little of the reserved liquid to help combine and adjust consistency. Set aside. This makes about 1 cup compote. 3. In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, place the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the onions and the remaining 3 cloves of minced garlic. Sautι until the onions are just starting to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatillos and remaining one-half teaspoon salt. Cover and continue to cook about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatillos are tender. Remove and cool slightly for a few minutes. 4. In a food processor, combine the tomatillo mixture with one-fourth cup of the chile-cherry paste. Set aside. This makes about 1 1/2 cups sauce. 5. Place the duck breasts, skin side down, into a cold, cast-iron skillet. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook the duck about 10 minutes, or until the skin is golden-brown and crispy and the fat has rendered off. (Turn the heat down to medium after a few minutes and watch to make sure the duck doesn't burn. Adjust the heat if necessary so that it cooks evenly.) Turn the duck over and cook for 1 minute to cook the meat to medium-rare; otherwise, continue cooking until desired doneness is achieved. Remove the breasts to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice very thinly on the diagonal. 6. Heat a skillet over medium heat and warm the tortillas. Place two to a plate and divide the sliced duck among the tortillas. Spoon a tablespoon or so of the tomatillo sauce over the duck and add a half-teaspoon of chile-cherry compote on top, or to taste. Sprinkle the top with fresh chopped cilantro. Serve immediately. Each serving: 565 calories; 37 grams protein; 42 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams fiber; 27 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 174 mg. cholesterol; 464 mg. sodium. Shrimp tacos with pumpkin seed sauce Total time: About 50 minutes Servings: 4 Note: If you would like a spicier pumpkin seed sauce, double the amount of chiles. 1 bunch cilantro 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 serrano chile, seeded and inner ribs removed 1 jalapeno chile, seeded and inner ribs removed 1/4 large jicama, peeled 1 pound medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined 8 small corn tortillas Lime wedges 1. Finely chop about a third of the cilantro to yield 2 tablespoons, setting aside the rest. In a small bowl, mix the chopped cilantro with the sour cream and set aside. 2. In a medium sautι pan over medium heat, toast the pumpkin seeds until they pop and turn slightly golden, 8 to 10 minutes; do not let them brown. Set aside briefly to allow to cool. 3. In a food processor or blender, place the pumpkin seeds, olive oil, garlic, salt, chiles, remaining cilantro and one-half cup of water. Blend to a smooth paste. 4. Return the mixture to the sautι pan, add one-half cup of water and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes to develop the flavors. Stir frequently to make sure the sauce doesn't burn and add more water if the sauce thickens too much or too quickly. Meanwhile, shred the jicama using a box grater. Refrigerate until needed. 5. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the shrimp. Cover and cook until the shrimp are pink, about 5 minutes, stirring and turning the shrimp occasionally for even cooking. 6. Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat and warm the tortillas. Arrange two tortillas per plate, slightly overlapping. Divide the shrimp among the tortillas, add shredded jicama and a spoonful of cilantro sour cream. Serve immediately, with lime wedges. Each serving: 471 calories; 32 grams protein; 33 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams fiber; 24 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 185 mg. cholesterol; 365 mg. sodium. |
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