 |
|
|
Sabroso - Winter2008
CUISINES OF MEXICO
By Jeff Becker Food
Photography by Joseph Burgess
|
|
In Puebla, a golden fried corn dough wrapper holds a mixture of chorizo, squash blossoms, cheese and epazote—the perfect example of the ingenuity found in Mexican cuisine. Here, among the tiled facades of old buildings and the jut of ancient churches, a pair of men are talking excitedly about what they had for lunch. It is a topic to which they give great attention. Nearby, a woman is squeezing fresh orange juice by hand. Here, food is no joke.
Puebla is regarded by most as the capital of Mexican cuisine. Mole and Chiles en Nogada were created here, and the history of the food in the region is rich. Amidst the large churches and convents that sprouted here with Spanish conquest, it is said that nuns developed the techniques and tastes that define Mexican cuisine today, and according to Alejandro Dimakis, executive chef of D’Guste, a culinary school open to the public in Juarez, Mexico, it is a lie. For the most part, the Native Americans, not the nuns, forced into the kitchens were responsible for marrying the cooking traditions of their cultures with that of the Spanish – and thus Mexican cuisine was born.
Today, this notion is accepted by most chefs and students of Mexican culinary traditions, and whoever did the cooking back then, food in Puebla is a big deal. Known for the originality of the dishes found there and use of fresh ingredients, the food in Puebla reflects Aztec, Hispanic, Arabic and Asian heritage, all of which have intermingled to create a fresh and exciting cuisine.
Pollo Poblano
(Chicken in Poblano cream sauce)
Serves 4
This creamy poblano sauce is a nice way to warm up your kitchen. Poblano is a kind of chile, but it is also the term used to reference things that come from Puebla, like Mole Poblano.
• 3 to 4 poblano chiles, seeded and chopped, but NOT roasted
• 1⁄2 cup milk
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 cup csrema Mexicana or heavy cream
• Salt to taste
• 2 chicken breasts, butterflied
• 1 cup grated Asadero cheese
Puree the chile in a blender with the milk until smooth. In a saucepan, make a roux by melting 2 tablespoons of the butter, adding the flour and stirring until browned lightly. Gently stir in the chile mixture, and whisk until smooth. Lower the heat, add the cream, and stir constantly until the sauce begins to bubble. Remove from heat and add salt to taste. Sauté the chicken in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, taking care not to overcook. Then place the chicken in a buttered baking dish, pour the poblano cream sauce over all, top with the grated cheese and bake, uncovered, in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
To learn more about these and other recipes, visit Chef Alejandro Dimakis’s cooking school, D’Guste, in Juarez, Mexico.
|
|
