11:42 PM 10/30/98
rfc panmart10@aol

SQUID SALAD WITH TAMARIND SAUCE 

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.


For sauce
2 tablespoons tamarind (from a pliable block)
1/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (preferably nuoc mam)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons sugar
Tabasco to taste if not drizzling sriracha sauce on salad


1 pound cleaned large squid
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves (preferably Thai basil), washed well and spun
 dry
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, washed well and spun dry
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
sriracha sauce (Asian chili sauce) to taste if desired



To Flower-Cut Squid
Remove flaps from body sacs and reserve. Cut each body sac lengthwise along
seam to form a flat piece and rinse squid well.
Spread squid inner side up on a work surface. Holding a sharp knife at a
45-degree angle to work surface, score squid diagonally every 1/8 to 1/4 inch
in a cross-hatch pattern. Score flaps in same manner. Cut squid into 1-inch
pieces.


Make sauce:
In a bowl stir together tamarind and warm water, mashing tamarind gently, about
4 minutes and strain through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on solids.
Add remaining sauce ingredients, stirring until sugar is dissolved.


Flower-cut squid (procedure follows) or cut squid sacs crosswise into 1/2-inch
ring and halve flaps crosswise. Halve large testicles. In a large saucepan of
boiling salted water cook squid 45 seconds, or just until opaque, and drain in
a colander. Rinse squid under cold water to stop cooking and drain well. Add
squid to sauce, tossing well. Salad may be prepared up to this point 1 day
ahead and chilled, covered. Bring salad to room temperature before proceeding
with recipe.

Add herbs and onion to salad and toss well. Serve salad drizzled with sriracha
sauce.


Serves 4. 

Gourmet 
June 1995 



GRILLED SHRIMP WITH TAMARIND RECADO 

This starter was inspired by the tamarind-flavored dishes of Alicia De Angeli,
a food writer and consultant in Mexico City, and Mark Miller of Coyote Cafe in
Santa Fe.


1 1/2 pounds large shrimp (about 33), shelled and deveined
1 1/2 cups tamarind recado


Accompaniment: charred habanero salsa


Prepare grill.

In a bowl toss shrimp with recado and marinate until grill is ready, about 30
minutes. Grill shrimp on a well-oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing
coals, turning them occasionally, until crusty, opaque, and charred, about 4
minutes. 

Serve shrimp with salsa.


Serves 4 as a starter. 

La Parilla: The Mexican Grill 
Reed Hearon 


TAMARIND RECADO 

Smoky, earthy, and with a sweet-and-sour tang, this recado is also delicious on
pork, beef, and venison.

Tamarind seasoning paste


2 tablespoons corn oil
6 dried chipotle chiles*, stemmed, seeded, and deveined (wear rubber gloves)
1 cup boiling water
1 medium white onion, sliced 1/2 inch thick
10 garlic cloves, unpeeled
4 plum tomatoes

For 1 1/2 cups fresh tamarind pulp*:
2 1/2 cups shelled tamarind pods* (about 14 ounces)

1 tablespoon coarse salt, or to taste

* available at Mexican markets


In a small skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking
and using tongs, fry chipotles, 1 or 2 at a time, turning them, until puffed
and just beginning to brown, about 10 seconds. (Do not let chiles burn or
recado will be bitter.) Transfer chipotles as fried to a small bowl, letting
excess oil drip off. Add boiling water and soak chipotles, tossing
occasionally, until soft, about 20 minutes. 

Heat a dry comal or flat iron griddle over moderately low heat and pan-roast
onion, garlic, and tomatoes, turning them occasionally to ensure even roasting,
until browned and soft throughout, 25 to 30 minutes. Discard garlic skins and
tomatoes stems.

In a blender or food processor blend chiles, 1/2 cup soaking water, onion,
garlic, tomatoes, tamarind pulp, and salt until smooth. (Recado may be made 5
days ahead and chilled, covered.) Makes about 3 1/4 cups.

To make tamarind pulp:
In a small saucepan barely cover tamarind with water and bring to a boil,
covered, over moderate heat. Simmer tamarind gently, covered, stirring
frequently, until pulp loosens and falls off seeds, about 30 minutes. (If
mixture becomes too thick, add more water to keep barely covered.)

Strain mixture through a medium sieve into a bowl, pushing hard with back of a
spoon to extract as much pulp as possible. If pulp does not measure about 1 1/2
cups, return solids to pan with water to barely cover and bring to a boil.
Strain tamarind again in same manner to extract more pulp. (Tamarind pulp may
be made 1 week ahead and chilled, covered.) 


Makes about 1 1/2 cups. 

La Parilla: The Mexican Grill 
Reed Hearon 



CHARRED HABANERO SALSA 

Thehabanero  reputedly the hottest chile in the world  has a complex, citrusy
aroma and flavor. This salsa from the Yucatan is a classic accompaniment to
meat and seafood cooked in an achiote recado  a brick-red paste made with
achiote, or annatto, seeds.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

*Available at Mexican markets, specialty produce markets, and some
supermarkets.


3 plum tomatoes
1/2 to 3 fresh habanero chiles*
1/4 cup water
1/8 teaspoon coarse salt, or to taste


Heat a dry comal or flat iron griddle over moderately low heat until hot and
pan-roast tomatoes and habaneros, turning them occasionally to ensure even
roasting, until browned and soft throughout, 25 to 30 minutes. Discard tomato
stems and wearing rubber gloves, stem and seed chiles.

In a blender pure tomatoes, chiles, water, and salt until smooth. (Salsa may
be made 10 hours ahead and chilled, covered. Bring salsa to room temperature
before serving.)


Makes about 1 cup. 

La Parilla: The Mexican Grill 
Reed Hearon 





Sheldon