Recipes

Salsa de Crema con Chile Serrano

Salsa de Crema con Chile Serrano

Serrano Chile Cream Sauce
I like this contemporary (nueva style) spicy cream sauce with chicken or pork. It's also very good with firm white fish, such as swordfish or sea bass. Try it with carrots, broccoli, corn, or other vegetables.
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Ingredients

Makes about 1½ cups

Instructions

  • Put the serranos, shallots, garlic, and vinegar in a heavy medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
  • Boil until liquid boils down to about 1 teaspoon, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the broth and cream.
  • Boil briskly, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1½ cups, about 10 minutes.
  • (Watch to prevent boil-over.
  • ) Pour the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl.
  • Press solids with a spoon to extract the juices.
  • Discard the solids.
  • Return the sauce to the saucepan.
  • In small bowl mix about 2 tablespoons of the sauce with the cornstarch and stir into the sauce.
  • Bring the sauce to a boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add the salt.

Notes & Wine Advice

The sauce is ready to use, or cover and refrigerate up to 3 days.
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Course; Sauce
Cuisine; Mexican

Salsa de Guajillo con Crema

Salsa de Guajillo con Crema

Guajillo Chile Sauce with Cream
Guajillo chiles are among the most common dried red chiles used to make sauces for enchiladas, crepes, or to serve with mushrooms, fish, or poultry. Adding cream to the sauce makes it rich and elegant. The sauce is also very good without the cream. Dilute with chicken broth to the desired consistency.
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Ingredients

Makes about 2 cups

Instructions

  • Put the tomato in a blender.
  • In a dry skillet, toast the chiles, turning, until aromatic and the color looks orange in places.
  • Do not burn.
  • Break the toasted chiles into pieces, discarding the stems and seeds.
  • Grind in a spice grinder to a powdery consistency.
  • (I use a coffee grinder reserved for spices.
  • ) Transfer to the blender.
  • In the same dry skillet, pan-roast the garlic until speckled with brown in a few places, about 5 minutes.
  • Peel and put in the blender.
  • In the same skillet, toast the oregano and cumin seeds until aromatic, about 2 minutes.
  • Add to the blender with 2⁄3 cup of water.
  • Process as smooth as possible.
  • Pour through a strainer into a bowl, pressing to extract all the pulp.
  • Discard the bits of skin and debris.
  • Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
  • Pour in the sauce and cook, partially covered, stirring frequently, to blend the flavors, 6 to 8 minutes.
  • Stir in the cream and season with salt.
  • Cook over low heat, uncovered, until thick and smooth, 3 to 4 minutes.

Notes & Wine Advice

The sauce is ready to use, or store in a covered container up to 3 days, refrigerated, or frozen for 3 months.
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Course; Sauce
Cuisine; Mexican

Salsa de Chile Guajillo

Salsa de Chile Guajillo

Guajillo Chile Sauce
This basic red chile sauce made from dried guajillo chiles is used in meat, poultry, or fish soups and stews. Guajillos are mild to moderate in heat with a pleasing flavor.
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Ingredients

Makes about 1½ cups

  • 12 guajillo chiles toasted and seeded
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil or vegetable oil
  • ½ medium white onion thinly sliced
  • 3 medium garlic cloves peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano Mexican variety preferred, crumbled
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ½ cup water or broth to suit the dish being prepared

Instructions

  • Prepare the chiles.
  • Then, break or cut them into pieces and put them in a bowl.
  • Cover with hot tap water and soak about 25 to 30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat and cook the onion and garlic slowly, stirring, until they start to brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the oregano, cumin, and salt, then scrape the skillet contents into a blender.
  • Drain the chiles then add the chiles to the blender along with the water.
  • Purée as smooth as possible.
  • If too thick to blend, add water 1 tablespoon at a time, until the purée is the consistency of ketchup.
  • Pour the sauce through a strainer into a heavy saucepan.
  • Push the pulp through with a wooden spoon.
  • Discard the bits of skin and debris in the strainer.
  • Cook the sauce, covered, over medium-low heat, stirring frequently 6 to 8 minutes to blend the flavors.

Notes & Wine Advice

The sauce is ready to use or store in a covered container in the refrigerator up to 3 days, or freeze up to 3 months.
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Course; Sauce
Cuisine; Mexican

Salsa de Chipotle y Tomatillo

Salsa de Chipotle y Tomatillo

Chipotle and Tomatillo Sauce
Chipotle chiles are dried smoked jalapeños that are often canned in a red sauce called adobo. Canned chipotle chiles en adobo are available in most supermarkets and Mexican grocery stores. Chipotles are very hot with a smoky taste. Add it to stews and soups, or spoon it over meats, poultry, and many other foods.
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Ingredients

  • Makes about 1½ cups
  • 7 medium tomatillos about ¼ pound, husked and rinsed
  • 2 canned chipotles chiles en adobo
  • 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from the canned chiles
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • ½ medium onion chopped
  • 1 medium garlic clove thinly sliced
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano Mexican variety preferred, crumbled
  • 1 medium tomato chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste

Instructions

  • In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to a boil then cook the tomatillos, uncovered, until they change color and soften, about 5 minutes.
  • Put the tomatillos and ½ cup of the cooking water into a blender.
  • Reserve.
  • In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat, and cook the onion until it begins to brown, about 4 minutes.
  • Add the garlic, oregano, and tomato.
  • Cook until the juices reduce and the mixture is nearly dry, about 5 minutes.
  • Transfer to the blender with the tomatillos.
  • Add the salt.
  • Blend smooth, then return to the skillet and heat through, about 2 minutes

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve hot.
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Course; Sauce
Cuisine; Mexican

Salsa de Chile Ancho y Vino Rojo

Salsa de Chile Ancho y Vino Rojo

Ancho Chile and Red Wine Sauce
Ancho chiles and red wine make a surprisingly ideal marriage. Try this sauce with Lamb Shanks in Ancho Chile and Red Wine Sauce, and Beef Steaks with Red Chile and Wine Sauce.
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Ingredients

Makes about 2 cups

Instructions

  • Prepare the chiles.
  • Then, cut the toasted ancho chiles into pieces and soak in hot water to soften for 15 minutes.
  • In a small, dry skillet, pan roast the tomatoes and garlic until the tomatoes are lightly charred on both sides, and the garlic is slightly soft with some brown spots, about 5 minutes.
  • Transfer to a blender.
  • Add the soaked chiles, Worcestershire, oregano, red pepper, and the chicken broth.
  • Blend until very smooth.
  • Reserve in the blender.
  • In a saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.
  • Pour in the puréed mixture and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
  • Add the wine and cook, partially covered.
  • Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently until reduced and thickened, about 10 minutes.
  • Stir in the butter and salt.

Notes & Wine Advice

The sauce is ready to use, or store, covered, in the refrigerator for 3 days or freeze for 3 months.
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Course; Sauce
Cuisine; Mexican

Crema de Chile Ancho

Crema de Chile Ancho

Ancho Chile and Red Pepper Cream Sauce
Modern Mexican chefs are experimenting with traditional ingredients to create new sauces. This sauce is very good with steak or vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, and green beans.
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Ingredients

Makes about 1 cup

Instructions

  • Prepare chile.
  • Then, cut the chile into small pieces.
  • Put in a small saucepan with all of the remaining ingredients.
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until the red pepper is tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
  • Transfer to a blender and purée.
  • Press purée through a fine-mesh strainer back into the saucepan.
  • Cook 1 minute to heat through.
  • (The sauce should have the consistency of heavy cream.
  • ) The sauce may be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days.
  • It does not freeze well.
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Course; Sauce
Cuisine; Mexican

Salsa de Chile Ancho para Enchiladas

Salsa de Chile Ancho para Enchiladas

Ancho Chile Sauce for Enchiladas
This sauce is especially good with enchiladas, such as Stacked Beef Enchiladas. (I also use it with Tamales with Beef or Pork.) It can be mild to medium-hot, because the heat level of chiles is never certain. The sauce is also good served with grilled chicken or roasted pork. Wear protective kitchen gloves when handling the chiles.
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Ingredients

Makes about 4½ cups

Instructions

  • Wipe the chiles with a damp paper towel.
  • Cut the chiles open and remove the stems and seeds.
  • Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and toast the chiles, turning, until they are aromatic, about 10 seconds.
  • Do not burn, or chiles will be bitter.
  • Put the chiles in a bowl, add hot water to cover, and soak about 20 minutes.
  • Drain, discarding the water.
  • Put the chiles, tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, marjoram, and broth in a blender.
  • Blend, in batches if necessary, to a smooth purée.
  • The sauce should have the consistency of heavy cream.
  • If too thick, add about 1 tablespoon water at a time, to reach the desired consistency.
  • In a saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.
  • Add the chile purée.
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer the sauce, stirring frequently to blend the flavors, about 15 minutes.
  • Stir in the cream and heat through completely, 3 to 4 minutes.

Notes & Wine Advice

The sauce is ready to use, or store in a covered container, refrigerated up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.
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Course; Sauce
Cuisine; Mexican

Salsa de Chile Rojo

Salsa de Chile Rojo

Basic Red Chile Sauce
This sauce can be used whenever red chile sauce is called for, such as for enchiladas and chilaquiles. Use gloves with the chiles.
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Ingredients

Makes about 2½ cups

Instructions

  • Wipe the chiles with damp paper towels.
  • With scissors, cut off the tops and cut each chile lengthwise in half.
  • Remove the seeds and veins.
  • On a comal or in a dry skillet toast the chiles about 3 seconds on each side, holding them down with a wide spatula until barely blistered and aromatic.
  • Do not burn, or they will be bitter.
  • Submerge the chiles in a bowl of hot water, and soak about 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat and cook the onion and garlic slowly until they start to brown, 5 to 6 minutes.
  • Stir in the oregano and cumin and immediately transfer to a blender.
  • Add the tomatoes to the blender.
  • With tongs, lift the chiles from the soaking water and put them in the blender.
  • Taste the chile water.
  • If it has a pleasant taste and is not bitter, add ½ cup chile water to the blender, along with ¼ cup of water.
  • (If it is bitter, discard the chile water and add ¾ cup of water.
  • ) Blend the mixture 1 minute or until the sauce is as smooth as possible, scraping down the sides of the blender jar as needed.
  • Pour the sauce through a strainer or a food mill into a medium bowl.
  • Discard remaining bits of tough skin and seeds.
  • Transfer the puréed chile sauce to a saucepan and simmer the sauce 15 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally, until completely cooked and flavors are blended.

Notes & Wine Advice

The sauce is ready to use, or cover and refrigerate for 5 days, or freeze up to 3 months.
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Course; Sauce
Cuisine; Mexican

Salsa Tomatillo con Hongos y Zarajorias

Salsa Tomatillo con Hongos y Zarajorias

Tomatillo Sauce with Mushrooms and Carrots
This cooked tomatillo sauce has the added colors, flavors, and texture of carrot and mushrooms. The sauce is good served over just about any meat, or for a vegetarian meal, over rice or pasta.
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Ingredients

Makes about 1½ cups

Instructions

  • Bring to a boil 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan, and cook the tomatillos over high heat until barely tender, about 3 minutes.
  • Drain the tomatillos and put them in a food processor or blender.
  • Pulse to a coarse puree.
  • The sauce should have some texture.
  • Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
  • Add the sauce and stir in the mushrooms and carrot.
  • Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, partially covered but stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms and carrot are tender and the sauce thickens, 8 to 10 minutes.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve hot.
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Course; Sauce
Cuisine; Mexican

Salsa Blanca con Jitomates

Salsa Blanca con Jitomates

White Sauce with Tomatoes
Although Yucatán White Sauce is commonly served with Yucatán Stuffed Turkey Breast with White Sauce, I also serve the turkey with this sauce. My friends and students like it, and you will, too.
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Ingredients

Makes about 3 cups

Instructions

  • In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
  • Stir in the flour and cook, stirring 1 minute.
  • Stir in the onion and cook until the onion softens, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Remove the pan from the heat and add the remaining ingredients except the tomatoes.
  • Stir to mix and return the pan to the heat.
  • Cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens, 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Stir in the tomatoes.
  • Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 3 minutes.

Notes & Wine Advice

Cover and keep warm, or if made ahead, refrigerate up to 2 days.
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Course; Sauce
Cuisine; Mexican