Chile Monkfish Skewers

Posted on July 1, 2020 by loschileros

Hope you’re ready to stoke up the barbecue because it’s only a box of sparklers away from the Fourth of July. And we all know a barbecue is a legal requirement on the 4th. Okay, maybe not a law that’s actually written down or something mentioned in the Constitution but it might as well be. So let’s get your shopping list sorted: warm beer, burned burgers and some dodgy potato salad with sun-kissed (aka food-poisoned) mayo. Top it off with ice cream that some numb-nut forgot to put in the freezer and you’re sorted.

Gonna be fun, right?

Or you could try – just try – and be classy for once in your life. Skip the beef and barbecue fish instead. Radical? Mad? Totally bonkers? Hear me out: monkfish is a dream to grill – full of flavour and firm enough to hold its own. Or you could use swordfish or splash out on tuna. Not feeling fishy? Go for chicken thighs. Put some rosé on ice to chill, crank the tunes and dazzle your guests.

Better yet, don’t invite any guests. Channel your inner curmudgeon. Just because you’ve got to barbecue doesn’t mean you have to share.

Serves 2-3

1 monkfish tail, skinned & boned, about 1 lb.

small knob of ginger, about ½ oz., peeled and finely grated

1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced

½ tsp turmeric

½ tsp chile molido powder hot

½ tsp Chimayo blend New Mexico chile

½ tsp salt

2 Tbsp. olive oil

zest and juice of 1 lime

To garnish (optional):

Chopped dill and/or cilantro

Lime wedges

Chile pequin

Mix the ginger, garlic, spices and salt together in a bowl, large enough to hold the fish. Add the olive oil, lime juice and zest and give it a good stir. Slice the monkfish into hefty chunks – about 1½” cubes, add to the marinade and place in the refrigerator for about an hour – no longer or the acid from the lime starts to ‘cook’ the fish.

Insert the chunks onto several skewers – if using wooden ones, make sure and soak them in water before hand. Grill over a medium hot fire, turning occasionally until all the sides are nicely charred. In total, about 8 minutes.

Serve with your choice of garnishes – you decide! Eat, enjoy and revel in summer.

Lime habanero drizzle cake

Posted on January 19, 2020 by loschileros

Made a resolution this year? Of course you did. Let me guess…you’re going to the gym more often (that means more than once, right?). Or you’re going on a diet to lose weight. Perhaps, you’re doing ‘dry January’.

Well done. How’s it going so far? Because today is the day it’s predicted that most people will give up, concede defeat and grab a dozen donuts and chow down like there’s no tomorrow. Today’s the day you won’t go to the gym (again) and instead mix yourself a martini the size of Manhattan.

If that’s you – and perhaps it’s not. Perhaps you’re busy polishing your halo and looking smug. But if you did ditch your New Year’s resolution then cut yourself some slack. You’re in good company. Instead, put on some music. Pour yourself a glass of wine. Cancel the gym membership and bake yourself a cake.

Use lots of limes so it’s tart and juicy and makes you feel that the cake is really a carrier for much needed Vitamin C (it is cold and flu season BTW). Make a glaze with enough habanero chile to warm the cockles of your heart. And don’t worry about your resolution. Remember, there’s always next year.

1 cup sugar

½ cup vegetable oil

2 Tbsp. lime zest

¼ cup lime juice

¾ cup buttermilk

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp. baking powder

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

Glaze

¼ cup lime juice

½ cup sugar

¼ tsp chile habañero powder

1 Tbsp. lime zest

Note: you’ll need about 3-4 limes in total, depending on how juicy they are.

9×5” loaf pan, greased and floured

Preheat oven to 350°F

In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar, oil, lime zest and juice, then the buttermilk and eggs. Sift together the salt, baking powder, and flour and fold the dry ingredients into the wet, in three batches.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes before turning the loaf out.

To make the glaze, put the lime juice, sugar, habanero powder and lime zest into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Heat for a few minutes. Use a skewer to poke holes in the loaf, almost all the way to the bottom. Brush or pour the hot syrup over the cake, allowing it to seep in.

Slice, serve and smile.

Pink grapefruit, avocado & feta salad with a chile vinaigrette

Posted on April 3, 2018 by loschileros

Do remind me what you give for a first anniversary? Ah yes, of course paper – the ultimate romantic gift. To keep it practical, why not give a roll of paper towels or an old newspaper? The ‘modern’ option is a clock. Wow. Nothing says ‘I love you’ like a clock.

Why all this chat about first anniversary gifts? Because reader, next month is the anniversary of the announcement of Mike Smith’s ‘discovery’. Yes, Mike Smith from Denbighshire in England. You remember Mike, don’t you?

You don’t? Oh dear…Well let me refresh your memory. Mike from Denbighshire created the hottest chile ever recorded. It’s all coming back to you now, isn’t it?

Mike wasn’t out to create something super hot – he was after a pretty plant for his Chelsea Flower Show display. But his ‘Dragon’s Breath’ chile scores 2.48 million on the Scoville heat index – beating the Carolina Reaper, that clocks in at a cool – pardon the pun – 2.2 million.

Scientist figure that Dragon’s Breath is so hot that if you ate one you could go into anaphylactic shock. I’m going to trust them on this one. Here’s the thing – more heat isn’t always better. At the Chile Trail we’re all about heat but we’re also all about the food. If it’s too hot and you can’t taste anything then what’s the point?

Take this cute as a bug salad we whipped up. It’s got mild chile molido in the dressing and a sprinkle of chile pequin on top. Is it hot? Yes. Can you make it hotter? Darn straight you can – just add some more or use our hot chile molido instead. But it’s not so hot that you lose the flavor of the pink grapefruit, avocado and feta cheese. So congrats Mike from Denbighshire. We’ll be sending over a congratulatory paper plate to celebrate.

But the Dragon’s Breath chile? We’ll pass, but thanks anyway.

Serves 3-4 as a side salad

4 large handfuls of lettuce, washed

1 pink grapefruit

3 oz feta cheese, crumbled

½ avocado, sliced thinly

3 Tbsp lime juice

½ tsp mild chile molido

4+ Tbsp vegetable oil

chile pequin, to garnish

To segment the grapefruit, take a thin slice off the top and bottom, so the grapefruit can sit on a chopping board. Take a sharp knife and slice off the skin and white pith by cutting along the curve of the grapefruit. Next, make v-shaped cuts to release the grapefruit segments. When you’re cutting the segments out, hold over a bowl so you can capture any juice.

To make the dressing, mix the lime juice, chile molido and vegetable oil together, along with any grapefruit juice. Taste, add salt and a bit more oil if the dressing is too sour.

Arrange the lettuce leaves on a platter. Top with the grapefruit segments, feta cheese and avocado. Garnish generously with the chile pequin and drizzle the dressing over the salad. Serve any extra vinaigrette on the side.