Hot Sauce Judges Share Secrets From Their Cookbooks

Makin' It Hot

One constant with the AustinChronicle Hot Sauce Festival through the years is that it attracts a stellar panel of judges. This year is no exception. The men on this year's panel have been responsible for popularizing the cuisines of Texas, the American Southwest, and Mexico throughout the U.S. Among them, they've racked up journalism and cookbook awards, founded restaurants, created television programs, and represented Texas by cooking at the James Beard Foundation in New York. Within the past 12 months, four of these distinguished judges have published cookbooks with salsa recipes in them, and they've agreed to share some of their best recipes here. These books will all be on sale at the festival and the chefs will be glad to sign them for you from 12:30-1:30pm at Waterloo Park. — V.W.

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Nuevo Tex-Mex

by David Garrido and Robb Walsh
(Chronicle Books, $19.95 paper)

Award-winning food journalist and former Chronicle food editor Robb Walsh teamed up with local chef David Garrido of Jeffrey's and Fresh Planet Cafe to produce this collection of festive recipes from just north of the border.

PAPAYA-HABANERO SALSA

This is a great marinade because papain, an enzyme present in papaya, is a natural meat tenderizer. We use the salsa to marinate fajitas, but it also tastes great with lobster, crab, and shrimp dishes.

1 ripe papaya, halved, seeded, and peeled

1/2 habanero chile, seeded and minced

1/4 tsp sugar

2 Tbs lemon juice

1 Tbs olive oil

1 yellow tomato, seeded and finely diced

1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, stemmed, seeded, and finely diced

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

1 Tbs minced fresh mint

salt

Dice half of the papaya and set it aside. Cut up the other half, place in the blender, and add the habanero chile, sugar, lemon juice, and olive oil. Purée until smooth. Transfer the purée to a non-reactive bowl and add the reserved diced papaya, tomato, bell pepper, cilantro, and mint. Mix well and season to taste with salt. Let stand for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend before serving. Yield: 2¹*2 to 3 cups.

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PICO DE GALLO

Pico de gallo, literally "rooster's beak," is a popular name for coarsely chopped salsa. There are many explanations for the name. Some say it describes the similarity between the chopping sound of the chef's knife and the pecking of a chicken. Others say it describes the feeling of having your tongue pecked by a rooster because the chile is so hot.

1 cup diced tomato

1/2 cup diced onion

1 serrano chile, seeded and minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 Tbs fresh lemon juice

salt

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, including salt to taste. Mix well and refrigerate for 15 minutes to allow flavors to blend before serving. Yield: 1¹*4 cups.

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ANCHO-TOMATILLO SAUCE

Here's another tomatillo sauce, but this one isn't green. The ancho peppers turn it sort of brown. It's one of the tastiest tomatillo sauces of all, however. The ancho-tomatillo combination was inspired by Mexican cooking authority Patricia Quintana. Use it as a sauce for enchiladas or other cooked dishes, or serve chilled as a table sauce.

4 Tbs olive oil

1/2 0nion, thinly sliced

1 serrano chile, stemmed and minced

1 garlic clove, minced

6 tomatillos, husked and quartered

2 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded

2 guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded

1 Tbs fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup chicken stock

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

salt

In a medium-sized skillet, heat two tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for about six minutes or until light brown. Add the serrano, garlic, tomatillos, anchos, guajillos, lemon juice, and chicken stock. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for five to seven minutes, or until chiles are soft. Transfer the contents of the skillet to a blender, add the cilantro, and purée until smooth. Strain through a sieve into a bowl and season to taste with salt. In another medium-sized skillet over high heat, heat the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil and carefully pour in the strained sauce. Cook for one to two minutes, or until it comes to a boil. Use immediately as a sauce for cooked dishes or chill and serve as a table sauce. It will keep, tightly capped, in the refrigerator for up to one week. Yield: 2 cups.

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New Tastes From Texas

by Stephan Pyles
(Clarkson-Potter, $18.95 paper)

Texan Stephan Pyles is the founding chef of the nationally recognized restaurants Star Canyon and AquaKnox in Dallas. Pyles' new cookbook is the companion volume to the PBS cooking show of the same name which airs Saturday afternoons on KLRU.

TOMATILLO-HABANERO SALSA

The combination of tomatillos and habaneros is one of my favorite flavor combinations.

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 scallions, chopped

16 medium tomatillos,
husked and diced into 1/4" pieces

1 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro

1 habanero, seeded and minced

2 tsp fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)

salt to taste

Purée the garlic, scallions, and half the tomatillos in a food processor. Combine the purée in a large bowl with the other half of the tomatillos and the cilantro, habanero, lime juice, and salt. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve at room temperature.

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MORITA SALSITA

The morita is a smoky smaller cousin of the chipotle. I was first served a "salsita" in northern Vera Cruz where my dear friend, the prolific author Patricia Quintana, has a ranch. They were jamlike in texture with a sweet, acidic, and fiery flavor that became addictive. Substitute chipotles if moritas are unavailable.

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

4 garlic cloves,

2 Tbs water

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup fresh lime juice, (4 to 6 limes)

1/2 cup morita purée (toast dried chiles and
then rehydrate with warm water, purée with
just enough water to make a paste)

2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro

salt to taste

Purée the onion, garlic, and water in a food processor until fairly smooth, about two minutes. Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan. Add the sugar and bring the mixture to a gentle boil until it turns a deep blue-green color, about 12 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve and reserve both solids and liquids. Combine the reserved solids with the lime juice and the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Add the reserved liquid as needed for desired consistency. Serve chilled or at room temperature with Molasses Grilled Quail.

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Cocina de la Familia

by Marilyn Tausend and Miguel Ravago
(Simon & Schuster, $27.50 hard)

This collection of more than 200 authentic recipes from Mexican-American home kitchens won a Julia Child Cookbook award for Seattle culinary travel consultant Tausend and well-loved local chef Miguel Ravago.

RACY RED TOMATO SALSA

This is an ideal all-purpose table salsa when there are no vine-ripened tomatoes to use. There will be salsa to use for several meals. Just stir before serving again. Covered and refrigerated, this will keep for about a week, although the flavor may become a bit harsher. This is a condiment to be used as frequently as salt and pepper. It goes on or in almost any dish that needs heightened flavor.

1 2-ounce can jalapeño chiles in escabeche
(in vinegar with carrots and onions)

6 green onions, trimmed and cut
in 1-inch pieces

1 medium white onion, quartered and
roughly chopped

1 28oz can whole tomatoes, drained

1 Tbs dried oregano, preferably Mexican

sea salt to taste

Place the jalapeños, vinegar, and vegetables from the can into the bowl of a food processor. Add all the other ingredients except the salt. Pulse briefly to get a chunky consistency. Pour into a glass bowl and add salt, if necessary. Yield: 4 cups.

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AVOCADO SALSA

Think of this avocado salsa as just a thinner version of guacamole and you will have no problem deciding how to use it. Serve as a dip with tortilla chips or crunchy wedges of jicama. Put a spoonful of this gutsy salsa over Skillet Potatoes with Green Chiles and Onions, on an omelet, or use it to liven up a hamburger. For a special treat, warm the salsa over low heat and pour over grilled meat or chicken.

6 fresh tomatillos, husked,
or one 12-ounce can with cup liquid

sea salt

2 fresh serrano or jalapeño chiles,
roughly chopped

1/2 white onion, cut in small chunks

2 firm but ripe avocados, peeled and pitted

1/2 up coarsely chopped cilantro leaves

garnish: leaves from 1 cilantro spring, chopped

If using the fresh tomatillos, rinse and place with the chiles into a small saucepan of lightly salted boiling water. Simmer over medium-low heat until the chiles are tender and the tomatillos change color, about 10 minutes. Drain, but reserve ¹*4 cup of the liquid. Skip this step if using canned tomatillos. Place the tomatillos with their liquid, chiles, and onions into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add the avocado pulp, cilantro, and about ¹*2 teaspoon salt and process briefly. The texture should remain rather coarse. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Serve immediately with a few cilantro leaves sprinkled on the surface or cover with plastic wrap, pressed directly on the salsa, and use in the next hour if possible. Yield: 2 cups.

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Traveling Jamaica With Knife, Fork & Spoon

by Jay McCarthy and Robb Walsh
(Crossing Press, $16.95 paper)

Co-authors McCarthy and Walsh ate their way across the island nation to bring readers the authentic flavors of chef McCarthy's Jamaican childhood.

SPIRIT'S PEPPER SAUCE

Spirit Taylor is known as the Spiceman of Boston Beach, a Jamaican town famous for its jerk. Spirit, who supplies a lot of the spices that the locals use for their secret jerk recipes, grinds his dry ingredients in an ancient meat grinder worn from decades of use. This recipe is inspired by his respect for spices and spiciness.

2 finger-length pieces Jamaican cinnamon bark

10 pimento (allspice) berries

10 whole black peppercorns

¹*4 nutmeg, with mace

4 cinnamon leaves

4 pimento (allspice) leaves

6 red Scotch Bonnet peppers, finely diced

3 medium onions, finely diced

2 medium carrots, finely diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp ketchup

1 tsp Pickapeppa Sauce

2 Tbs dark rum

2 cups can or cider vinegar

Grind all the dry ingredients in a mortar or a spice or coffee grinder. Put the red Scotch Bonnets, onions, carrots, and garlic into a small, non-reactive saucepan. Add the ketchup, Pickapeppa, dark rum, vinegar, and spices and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Allow the sauce to cool, then put it into a bottle. It will keep for several months in the refrigerator. Use the sauce sparingly to accompany stews, grilled meats, or whatever you feel could use a bit of Spirit. Yield: 2 cups.

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WATERMELON SALSA

This is a great complement to seafood dishes, especially crab.

2 cups watermelon cubes, seeded

1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced into crescents

Juice of 1 lime

1 Tbs honey

1 Tbs fresh mint, finely chopped

1 tsp red pepper flakes

salt and white pepper, to taste

Toss all ingredients together. Season to taste. Serve immediately. The watermelon is best when crisp. Yield: 2 1/4 cups.