Heat Seekers
A variety of chiles spice up menus
By Laura Yee, Special to R&I -- Restaurants & Institutions, 4/1/2004
Chiles are anything but shy, and it's always their heat that gets noticed first. Whether it comes as a pleasantly warm tingle from poblano chiles, a lusty punch from serranos or the searing burn of habaneros, their presence is unmistakable.
Chefs welcome chiles' bold pronouncements, calling on the amped-up power for a full range of dishes and preparations. In many cases, their feistiness is fully expected, native to such popular cuisines as Mexican, Thai and Indian. But increasingly, the little powerhouses are being asked to embolden foods outside their traditional realms.
It's not just the heat that attracts chefs. Chiles can very adeptly deliver a memorable kick and contribute to a dish's overall flavor profile. But their role is expanding. As acidic ingredients are used to cut sweetness, chiles contribute contrast or balance. Varieties are selected for attributes in addition to raw heat, such as chipotles for smokiness or the aji family of chiles for underlying fruity notes. Chefs craft recipes with more than one kind of chile to achieve greater depth and nuances of flavor.
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"Giving a dish heat is only one thing that chiles can do," says Robert Del Grande, president of Houston multiconcept operator Schiller Del Grande Restaurant Group and executive chef of its Southwestern-influenced Cafe Annie. "Chiles have many other wonderful attributes that help achieve various goals."
Del Grande regards chiles as essential seasonings, as integral to his culinary style as salt and pepper. At Cafe Annie, sweet jalapeño-mint salsa complements double-cut lamb chops while heat from serranos laces cilantro broth for mussels. Schiller Del Grande's Rio Ranch Steakhouse grills ancho chiles that top a Mexican-style, hand-flattened rib-eye steak.
Scott Serpas, executive chef at Mitra in Atlanta, appreciates the reach, versatility and complexity that chiles bring to a preparation. "You get different outcomes depending on the chile used, what form of it is used and how much of it goes into a dish," he says.
Serpas gives classic Caesar salad a twist with dressing that unites smoky chipotles with the fruity tang of lime juice. The diminutive but hot dried arbol chile easily could overpower the lemon vinaigrette used in Chile-Roasted Shrimp With Pickled Chayote Squash Salad but the right amount provides zip, not fiery heat.
The same can be said of the purée of aji amarillo, a yellow Peruvian chile that spikes shredded chicken at Destino in San Francisco. "There are people who enjoy really hot food but heat for the most part is supposed to be balanced," says Chef-owner James Schenk.
Bold Layers
At Schiller Del Grande's Taco Milagro restaurant in Houston, Del
Grande takes pride in offering a high-quality experience in a
fast-casual venue. Tamales are hand-crafted, grilled beef dishes
are made with sirloin skirt steak, and mole is authentically prepared.
It includes Mexican chocolate, pecans, almonds, sesame seeds and
the combined power of three chiles: pasilla, ancho and guajillo.
"For every mole there is a different recipe," says Del Grande. "Each ingredient plays off the others to create this wonderful complexity and layering of flavors."
Because chiles offer a range of tones and nuances in addition to varying degrees of heat, they are particularly useful for creating complexity.
"When we make chili, we'll add ancho, pasilla and chipotle and you'll get these great layers of flavor," says Doug D'Avico, executive chef for Palo Alto, Calif.-based contractor Bon Appétit Management Co. at The Art Institute of Chicago. "The food won't necessarily be hotter but it certainly will have more flavor and greater depth."
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Multiple Personalities
Chiles have chameleon-like qualities that chefs can't resist.
Their flavors and heat quotients can be altered by handling and
preparation. "Just think of the way the flavor of red bell peppers
changes when you roast them," says D'Avico.
"We char jalapeños before throwing them in salsa. They're a little sweeter and give another level of flavor," he says, adding that other fresh chiles such as Anaheim and poblano can be similarly handled.
D'Avico also uses chiles in dressings. If he spices up a recipe with a chile known to be especially hot, he removes seeds and membranes for a softer statement. "Sometimes spiciness varies from one batch of chiles to another, but for the most part, removing membranes and seeds cuts heat."
Pickling chiles provides another flavor dimension. At Todd English's Bonfire steakhouse in Boston, pickled jalapeños pack heat as well as an acidic punch that counters beef tartare served with quail egg yolk, red onions, Cheddar cheese and toast points.
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Subtler Side
A chile's best-recognized characteristic—heat—also is
its most misleading. "Customers associate chiles with heat but
they are also great flavor enhancers," says D'Avico. If mouth-blistering
chiles are part of a dish, there should be a balancing element,
chefs say.
Aji panca, a variety of Peruvian chiles, heats up sauce for braised pork shank marinated in beer, a recent offering at Café Boulud in New York City. The dish finds balance in accompanying arroz verde (green rice) and pickled pineapple.
Chefs typically refrain from listing chiles in menu descriptions unless they play prominent roles. Often, they are used primarily for balance so diners have no idea that a dash of cayenne has been whisked into hollandaise or that sweet Asian barbecue sauce has been cut with a touch of habanero.
"Chiles are a great way to add depth of flavor," says Dean Thomas, chef at The Inn at Essex and the New England Culinary Institute in Essex, Vt. "They're something you think about when you braise a dish or prepare marinade. Chiles' heat is very subtle but their presence is very powerful."
Wild West Barbecue Sauce
Chef-owner Tom Douglas, Dahlia
Lounge, Seattle
Yield: 1 1/2 cups
| Ancho chiles, halved, seeds and membranes removed | 2 |
| Water | as needed |
| Tomatoes, canned, drained | 1 cup |
| Red bell pepper, roasted | 1 Tbsp. |
| Onions, minced | 2/3 cup |
| Anaheim or poblano chiles, seeded, chopped | 1/2 cup |
| Garlic, minced | 1 tsp. |
| Cilantro, chopped | 1 Tbsp. |
| Fresh lime juice | 1 Tbsp. |
| Red-pepper flakes | to taste |
| Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper | to taste |
- In saucepan, cover ancho chiles with water and bring to boil. Remove from heat; let soak 30 minutes. Remove from water; drain. Place in food processor with tomatoes and bell pepper. Purée until smooth.
- In saucepan, combine chile-tomato mixture with onions, Anaheim chiles and garlic; simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat; add cilantro and lime juice. Season to taste with red-pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
Amarillo Ceviche Mixto
Chef Douglas Rodriguez, Calle
Ocho, New York City
Yield: 6 servings
| Fresh lime juice | 1/3 cup |
| Fresh lemon juice | 1/3 cup |
| Clam juice | 1/4 cup |
| Aji amarillo chile paste | 1 Tbsp. |
| Ground turmeric | 1 Tbsp. |
| Fresh ginger, grated | 1 Tbsp. |
| Salt to taste | |
| Shrimp, deveined, blanched | 1/2 lb. |
| Octopus, cooked, sliced | 1/2 lb. |
| Bay scallops, sautéed | 1/2 lb. |
| Yellow tomato, diced | 1 |
| Yellow bell pepper, diced | 1 |
| Chives, chopped 1 Tbsp. | 1 Tbsp. |
| Green onions, chopped | 2 Tbsp. |
| Cilantro, chopped | 1 Tbsp. |
- Mix juices, chile paste, turmeric, ginger and salt. Toss with seafood, tomato, bell pepper, chives and green onions. Refrigerate 1 hour.
- Plate and garnish with cilantro.
Hot Sellers
Chiles provide a multitude of ways to spike flavor and boost sales.
Chesapeake Bay crab cakes with sugar snap pea
sauté and ancho aioli
Champps Restaurant & Bar, multiple
locations
Crispy rice chicken roll with black mushrooms,
vermicelli and lemon-chile oil
Crustacean, Beverly Hills, Calif.
Papas
a la Huancaina: Peruvian potato salad with queso fresco and purple
aji amarillo chiles
Destino, San Francisco
Caldo de olla: chicken in mild chipotle-guajillo
broth with vegetables and corn dumplings
El Torito, multiple locations
Red-snapper enchiladas with poblano cream and
crema fresca, radishes and cotija cheese
El Vez, Philadelphia
Grilled pork loin with roasted poblano chiles
Indiana University of Pennsylvania,
Indiana, Pa.
Grilled prime beef strip loin, hickory-smoked
gold potatoes, crème fraîche, red-onion compote,
broccolini and chipotle-tomato sauce
Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern,
Raleigh, N.C.
Goat-cheese chile relleno, refried black
beans and Spanish potato frittata
Stanford University, Stanford,
Calif.
Sweet Heat
The fruity and nutty nuances of chiles can heat up desserts as effectively as they do main courses.
Banana-chocolate cake with rum anglaise sauce
and habanero caramel
Chez Henri, Boston
Havana Bananas with rum, chipotle and ancho chiles,
chocolate sauce and macadamia-brittle ice cream
Norman’s, Coral Gables,
Fla.
Chocolate tart with ancho chile, Mexican chocolate,
whipped cream and crimson prickly-pear sauce
Platiyo, Chicago
Pine-nut cake filled with roasted pineapple-chile
Bavarian cream, jalapeño-spiked chutney with pineapple,
mango and tequila
Roaring Fork, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Turning on the Heat
Chiles add more than heat to a full range of recipes. Experiment with them in sauces, salsas and condiments. Layer characteristics by using multiple varieties of chiles in braised dishes, marinades and soups.
Aji amarillo: Originating in the Andes, this hot yellow member of the aji family has a citrusy aroma.
Anaheim: Developed in California, this long, blunt-nose green chile typically is mild with a hint of heat.
Bird peppers: What these chiles lack in size they make up with blistering heat. Popular in Indian and Asian cooking.
Cascabel: Spanish for "little round bell" or "rattle," the dried chile packs medium heat and a nutty flavor.
Guajillo: The Mexican chile has a medium heat level, making it more palatable for wider audiences.
Habanero: Originating in Cuba, this popular chile is renowned as the hottest variety. Buried within the heat is a pleasant flavor similar to apricots.
Pasilla: The wrinkly, dark-brown dried chile is mildly hot and ideal for sauces.
Poblano: The broad-shaped, dark-green, almost black chile has a rich flavor that ranges from mild to feisty. When dried, its leathery skin is reddish-brown and referred to as an ancho. It can be mild or pungent with a slightly fruity flavor.
Scotch bonnet: Light green, yellow or red, the Caribbean native is related closely to the habanero but has a less fiery demeanor.
Serrano: This Mexican green chile packs a powerfully hot punch but becomes sweeter as it matures to red.
Togarashi: Small, hot, red Japanese chile also called ichimi. Available fresh or dried (flakes and powder).
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