We are about to complete a year between quarantine and confinement. In these almost 12 months, many of us have turned to look at a space in the house that we did not consider due to lack of time or simply lack of interest: the kitchen. Between the home office and the rise of online workshops, we take advantage of the opportunity to get started in the culinary arts and improve our skills, which always save us from a tight spot and surprise family, friends and even that person we want to make a good impression on, taking advantage of the fact that February 14 is coming!
At Local SMA Guide we think of those who don't live in the city or who do but aren't going out, and of those who are not planning to visit us soon. That's why we approached three local chefs who are in charge of some of the most renowned restaurants in San Miguel, who shared with us a simple, practical and delicious recipe so that you –who are reading us from anywhere in the world– can make it and look like a real chef, with the characteristic seal of these emblematic creatives and the restaurants they represent.
Huauzontles Toasts
Chef: Marco Cruz
Restaurant: Nomad – The Otel Group
Photo via @chefmarcocruz
You may have heard of them or even tried them without really knowing what they are, right? Huauzontles are small plants that have been used in traditional Mexican cuisine since pre-Hispanic times. They are mainly grown in Puebla because they grow very well in cold climates, and even though they are not so easy to find in any supermarket, they are used in many dishes, such as in moles, or stuffed, capeadas and more.
On this occasion, chef Marco Cruz recommends a very easy-to-prepare starter, so you can discover the flavor and nutritional properties of huauzontle with a spicy touch that you will love.
Ingredients:
- Corn toasts (the pieces you like to prepare)
- 50 or more clean huauzontles
- 1 pc avocado
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
*Huauzontles: clean them and bleach them in water, set aside and add lemon juice.
Dip:
- 4 tomatoes
- 1/4 white onion
- 1 pc of habanero
- 1 pc garlic with peel
*Blend all the ingredients, put them in a blender and add:
- 5 g roasted peanuts
- 1m of cilantro
- 1 pc lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
Preparation: Put the sauce on the toast, add slices of avocado and finish with the huauzontles and olive oil.
Cream of portobello mushrooms
Chef: Marcela Bolaño
Restaurants: Marsala – King
Photo via @chefmarcelabolano
Creams are dishes that make more than one person nervous. Not because of their complexity but because of that obsession with having the perfect texture and consistency, which according to experts, should not be so thick but soft, so that it feels like velvet on the palate. To achieve this, it is a matter of practice, and you can always look up some tips online. However, Chef Marcela Bolaño tells us this recipe that has just what is needed to get your cream to its ideal point.
*Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 dried chiles de árbol
- 3 tablespoons spring onion, finely chopped
- 5 portobello mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (Lyncott)
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup water
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 slices of baguette bread browned in olive oil
- 4 slices of goat cheese
- Rosemary to decorate
Preparation:
In a frying pan, heat the oil, add the chile and cook for 1/2 minute. Remove the chile and add the chopped onion over low heat until translucent. Add the portobello mushrooms and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add the white wine, raise the heat to medium and let it evaporate for 3 minutes. Add the cream and fresh cilantro. Stir and let it rest. Add the broth and cook for 5 more minutes. Blend the mushroom mixture with the broth and water.
Serve hot accompanied by bread croutons with goat cheese and a sprig of rosemary.
Magret Valentine's Day
Chef: Mike Garcia
Restaurant: Fatima 7
photo via @a.miike
What better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than with a refined and exquisite dish? 'Magret' means lean, and in cooking it refers to a fillet of fattened duck or goose, that is, a very pure, tender and juicy cut of the breast. Traditionally, and especially in French cuisine, duck meat was cooked in 'confit', a technique in which salt is added to cook it in its own fat, in order to provide greater tenderness; but with the implementation of 'magret', which is a little more modern, this bird can be prepared in many ways without sacrificing its texture and flavor.
On the other hand, we have the 'ganache', which is also part of this recipe, and is a cream frequently used in baking that consists of a preparation of cream mixed hot with pieces of chocolate.
*Makes 2 servings
Ingredients:
*For the 'magret'
- 2 pcs duck magret
- 10 g fresh thyme
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
- Salt to taste
- Ground black pepper
- Pure olive oil
*For the 'ganache'
- 1 medium piece of roasted beetroot
- 50 g fennel
- 250 g white chocolate
- 1 g pink pepper
- 5 g of cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons pure olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 100 ml of wine vinegar
- 50 g of dehydrated blueberries
- 150 g of cherries or you can also use a can of black cherries
Preparation of the 'ganache':
We have to start by washing and disinfecting our vegetables (beet and fennel), then with a little aluminum foil we wrap the beet completely and put it in the oven at 180º C for 40 minutes, at this same temperature we will cook the duck.
While our beetroot is in the oven, we can cut the fennel into small pieces and place it in our saucepan along with the rest of the ingredients.
––“I like to cook everything from cold so that our ingredients warm up slowly, since their natural sugars are released in a better way than when we heat our pot too much. Once on the stove, keep it on low heat so that it cooks slowly and take it with a lot of patience, cooking has a lot to do with patience and love”––.
After 40 minutes of cooking the beetroot, with the help of a cloth and being very careful, we take it out of the oven and open it so that it cools a little, enough to be able to peel it and cut it into small pieces to add it to our saucepan with the rest of the ingredients, except for the chocolate (we have to melt this).
Once our beetroot is cooked and full of aroma, it is ready to be processed. We carefully place it whole in the blender to grind it. This will give us the necessary time to work with the chocolate. ––“I advise you to use the microwave, placing the white chocolate in a refractory dish in cycles of 30 seconds until it is completely melted.”–– Note: Between each cycle it is good to mix the chocolate, this prevents it from burning. When the chocolate is completely melted we add it to our beet mixture that we have in the blender. Removing the removable lid and pouring in all the chocolate, you should continue blending the mixture until you obtain a smooth texture, you can add a little water if you like or you can use the liquid where the cherries come from. When you finish blending, adjust the salt and set aside, it is time to work on the duck.
Preparation of the 'magret':
If you have bought the meat frozen, it is important that the pieces have been defrosted at room temperature before cooking the duck magret. Do not use the microwave to defrost it as it tends to cook the meat in the centre and this will result in tough, dry meat.
Rub both breasts with a little salt on both sides. The next step is to sear, which unlike vegetables, searing meat means cooking over very high heat to form a crust and prevent the meat from losing its juices. To do this, put a pan on high heat and when it is very hot place the pieces of meat in it, cook for about 3 minutes maximum on each side or until you see that the fatty part is completely browned and crispy ––this depends a lot on each person's taste, I particularly like the skin part well browned––.
Then place the duck pieces in an ovenproof dish and season with pepper, thyme and rosemary, sprinkling the duck pieces on both sides. The next step is to cook in the oven. To do this, place the meat with the fat side up. Set the oven for 12 minutes at 180º. The cooking time will depend on taste, but, as duck is a wild meat, it is best to eat it rare, otherwise it tends to dry out a lot.
To plate:
Cut the duck into thin slices and place it on absorbent paper, use the plates you like best from your tableware and let your imagination do the rest; remember that the kitchen is a factory of feelings and stories that unite us all around the table.
