Specialty Food Magazine

SEP 2012

Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.

Issue link: https://specialtyfoodmagazine.epubxp.com/i/79798

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 107 of 123

PREPARED FOOD FOCUS The Flavors of Chile Familiarize your customers with this country's indigenous and distinct ingredients with these three recipes. BY JOANNA PRUESS C hile's rich and varied terrain, along with its multicultural historic background, produces ingredients and foods that are distinct and, thanks to strong governmental control, high quality. Throughout this long sliver of a country, indigenous and newly imported products have comingled to become creative and tasty foods. Mote, for example, is a generic term that refers to boiled ancient cereal grains, such as barley or quinoa. Its versatility—whether made savory or sweet—is exemplified in mote con huesillos, a beloved dessert recipe of cooked barley and dried peaches in caramel syrup. Chile exports an impressive array of fruits—with numbers growing— around the world, including kiwis, berries, apples and grapes. In cheesecake de manjar, sauteed apple slices make a tangy-sweet topping for caramel-like manjar, Chile's version of dulce de leche. The most common Chilean wines are Merlot, cabernet sauvignon and carménère—a grape originally brought to the New World by the French from Bordeaux. When reduced to a thick sauce, this deep red wine heightens gratineed sea bass fillets. Salmon Ceviche with Merquén-Spiced Quinoa and Barley t Gratineed Chilean Sea Bass with Fine Herbs, Spinach and Carménère Wine Sauce t Manjar Cheesecake with Cinnamon Apples Production of extra-virgin olive oil is a relatively new endeavor in Chile. According to ChileOliva, an organization of local producers, Chile is projected to produce 35,000 tons of oil by 2015, up from just 1,000 tons in 2003. Like the wines, proud Chileans boast of tasting their terroir in the oil. :JFME Salmon Ceviche with Merquén-Spiced Quinoa and Barley PVODF BQQFUJ[FS QPSUJPOT t 1SFQBSBUJPO UJNF BCPVU IPVS t 4IFMG MJGF EBZ In this layered timbale, salmon scented with smoky ground chile peppers or merquén—one of the most predominant seasonings in Chile— sits atop a mixture of quinoa, barley and tomatoes for a refreshing appetizer. You can double the portions for a main course. This is based on a recipe from renowned young chef Tomás Olivera of restaurant Casa Mar in Santiago. 8 ounces finely diced skinless salmon fillet 3 tablespoons finely diced red bell pepper 1 tablespoon freshly chopped chives 2 tablespoons, plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 teaspoon merquén, plus additional for garnish 2 tablespoons uncooked pearled barley 2 tablespoons uncooked quinoa ¼ cup finely diced and seeded tomatoes 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro leaves microgreens, for garnish salt and freshly ground black pepper 1. In a bowl, combine the salmon, pepper, chives, 2 tablespoons olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt and the merquén, and toss. Cover and refrigerate while preparing the rest of the recipe. 2. Cook the barley and quinoa separately according to package directions. Drain and let cool. Combine the tomatoes, cilantro and remaining olive oil with the mote (barley and quinoa combination), and season to taste with salt and pepper. 3. Pack a quarter of the grain mixture into four (3- to 3½-inch) rings. Spoon the ceviche on top, and press the timbales on to small plates. Add microgreens on top of each, sprinkle a little merquén around the outside of each plate and serve. NUTRITIONAL DATA (per 4-ounce portion): Calories: 200; Cholesterol: 35 mg; Sodium: 30 mg; Fat: 13 g; Dietary Fiber: <1 g SEPTEMBER 2012 105 PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK FERRI; FOOD STYLED BY AJ BATTIFARANO; PROPS STYLED BY FRAN MATALON-DEGNI NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS BY LAUREN BRAUN, NUTRITIONAL LIFESTYLE DESIGNS, MIAMI, FL

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Specialty Food Magazine - SEP 2012