Taste of the Tropics
Photos by Jerry Luterman
If winter is a marathon, then February is where many of us hit the wall. The colorful holiday season is long past, the cold has settled in deep, and the forced march toward spring can seem never-ending.
Times like these make me long for a getaway — someplace warm, someplace tropical, and someplace that pairs rum or tequila up with fruit and maybe an umbrella or a really cool swizzle stick. But what’s a girl to do with a budget that doesn’t include jet-setting south?
If she’s smart, she heads to Charro, Tacos & Tequila. This mod, yet utterly comfortable addition to Milwaukee Street’s dining scene sets the perfect tone for an escape.
Cabrales Salad
Flour tortillas
Butter
Cumin
Oregano
Salt and Pepper
Cabrales blue cheese
Sour cream
Tomatoes
Salt
Pepper
Romaine lettuce
Sliced radishes
Red onion, julienne
Chickpeas
Cut tortillas into squares; toast in butter, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper to make croutons. Combine next five ingredients to make dressing. Toss all remaining ingredients and lightly coat with dressing.
Shrimp Ceviche
1/2 pound shrimp
2 red bell pepper, fine dice
1 banana pepper, fine dice
1/2 pablano pepper, fine dice
4 Anaheim peppers, fine dice
1 pint freshly squeezed orange juice
1 pint freshly squeezed lime juice
Zest of one lime
Zest of one orange
Segments of one orange
Segments of one lime
1/2 tsp Aleppo
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp mint, julienne
Siracha Chili
Sugar
Salt
Place shrimp in pot and cover with citrus and oil. Put over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes just until pink. Remove from heat and cool immediately. After cooled drain off excess liquid and mix in all remaining ingredients. Serve with tortilla chips.
Seafood Enchiladas
To Make Filling:
6 shrimp peeled, cut in half, shells saved
8 ounce can crab meat
1 pound lobster, boiled for 4 minutes, meat removed, shells saved
4 ounces goat cheese
1 red pepper
1 red onion
3 ounces Chihuahua cheese
Heat shrimp, pepper and onions in sauté pan with small amount of oil
and season. Add lobster, crab and sauce, cook for two minutes.
To Make Shellfish sauce:
Reserve shells from lobster and shrimp
2 carrots
1 white onion
3 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
1 can of coconut milk
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp Aleppo pepper
1 tsp annatto seeds
1 tbsp Chula hot sauce
2 cans chicken broth
4 chopped up tomatoes
1 cup of rum
Roast onions and carrots until golden brown. Add bay leaf, shells, cinnamon stick and annatto seeds. Roast for 20 minutes. Deglaze with rum, add all seasoning, broth and coconut. Simmer until it reaches a sauce-like consistency. Remove shells, puree and season to taste.
To Make Coconut Rice:
2 cups of basmati rice
1 can of kidney beans
1 can of coconut milk
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp salt
2 cups water
1 diced shallot
1 tbsp butter
Baby spinach, chopped
Add shallot, bay leaf, salt, water and rice. Cook rice to al dente. Fold in kidney beans and coconut milk. Finish cooking. At the last minute fold in spinach and butter. Season to taste.
To assemble: Roll tortillas with goat cheese and sauté mixture. Top with sauce and Chihuahua cheese. Bake in 350 degree oven for five minutes.
Pollo Asado
2 whole chickens deboned
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp coriander
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic
Black pepper
1 tsp cumin
Blend all spices with olive oil. Marinade chicken for 4 hours.
To Make Chickpea Ragu:
2 cups of chickpeas, soaked in water for 24 hours
1 red onion
1 carrot
2 cans chicken broth
2 stalks of celery
Bay leaf
Thyme
Rosemary
Roast garlic, onion, and carrots with olive oil. Add chicken broth after three minutes and chickpeas. Cook for 25 minutes until tender. Puree 1/4 of chickpea mixture. Add to remaining mixture. Add remaining ingredients. Season to taste.
To Make Sauce:
One 8 ounce can of pepper dew peppers
One 8 ounce can of piquillo peppers
1 can olive oil
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 tsp fennel seed
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup honey
Add honey, vinegar and spices. Blend with piquillo peppers. In mixing bowl add diced peppers and olive oil. Season to taste.
To assemble: Sear chicken in sauté pan. Bake in oven until cooked. Serve on top of chickpea ragout. Finish with sauce.
Banana Leaf Wrapped Snapper
6-8 ounce red snapper
Banana leaf
1 bell pepper, fine julienne
1 yellow pepper, fine julienne
1 carrot, fine julienne
1 leek, fine julienne
3 thyme sprigs
1 sweet potato, thinly sliced
Lemon zest
Orange zest
Salt and pepper
To Make Coconut Sauce:
1 can coconut
4 ounces white onion, fine julienne
1 ounce garlic, fine julienne
1 ounce ginger, fine julienne
1 tbsp allspice cloves
1 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp nutmeg
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1 tbsp sugar
Sweat
onions with garlic and ginger until onions are translucent. Add all
seasonings. Add coconut. Add citrus. Puree and season to taste.
To assemble: Prep
vegetables. Season fish, lay out banana leaves. Shingle sweet potato, layer shingles onto banana leaves. Place fish on top, then add vegetables, a sprig of thyme, and zest.
Steam 6 to 8 minutes until cooked. Serve with coconut sauce.
Duck Confit Tostadas
To Make Confit Duck:
Four duck legs
3 cups of lard
Thyme
Garlic
Cumin
Adobo
Salt
Black pepper
Coriander
Season
duck with all of the spices. Place in baking pan. Heat lard and pour
over. Place in oven at 300 degrees for 3 hours until tender.
To Make Tostada:
3 ounces manchego cheese
2 pieces of scallions, sliced thinly
Cilantro, thin chopped
1 can of black beans
Cabbage
Cumin
Black pepper
1 tsp olive oil
4 corn tortillas
1 quart of corn oil
Place corn oil in pot bring to
300-350 degrees. Fry corn tortillas until crispy. Take out and season
with salt and pepper.
To assemble: Take duck legs and shred, removing excess fat and bones. Season lightly with adobo. Mix all vegetables. Drain black beans and bring to boil. Add olive oil salt, cumin and black pepper. Puree until smooth consistency. Top tortillas with duck confit meat. Top with lettuce and manchego. Garnish with sour cream.
Recipe Archive - Look here for recipes that have appeared in previous issues
