El Restaurante Mexicano
Summer 2001
Fabulous Fowl
Flavorful poultry dishes help profits take off
By Kathleen Furore
Editor, El Restaurante Mexicano
©2001 Maiden Name Press LLC
Chicken enjoys the highest per-capita consumption of any other major meat (81 pounds of chicken per person per year). ,Some 70 percent of respondents in a National Turkey Federation survey of 800 consumers said they order turkey away from home – a 50 percent increase over 2000, the NTF revealed in February. And national consumption of duckling increased 8.9 percent between 1996 and 1998, data from The Duckling Council says.
Some of the most successful restaurants around are taking consumers' preference for poultry to heart by making poultry the heart of their menu offerings. "Poultry is a very big part of our menu," reports Katherine Kagel, executive chef/owner of Cafe Pasqual's, a 22-year-old restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico. "It makes up about half our menu. And we serve only free-range chicken – all of our protein here is pure."
"It's bigger than beef," Edgar Rodriguez, executive chef at upscale Salbute in Hinsdale, Ill., says when asked how important poultry is in his restaurant kitchen.
As Douglas Rodriguez, author of "Douglas Rodriguez's Latin Flavors on the Grill" and chef/owner of Patria, the renowned "nuevo Latino" restaurant in New York City, says of the importance of poultry: "It's a staple in all Latin cuisines. These birds are versatile and go a long way in the kitchen. As a main ingredient or as a flavoring for starches, birds enhance simple dishes."
Fowl is a favorite money-maker for restaurant owners, as well. "Chicken is a bread and butter dish and the margin is very good," Douglas Rodriguez notes.
"The margins are good, and one of the best things is that as we demand more and more well-raised and well-tended animals, the price will come down," says Kagel, who now pays about $1.50 per pound less than she used to pay for free-range chicken. I really encourage people to do that."
Fowl favorites
Authentic regional dishes, as well as recipes with flavorful new twists, are proven crowd-pleasers, according to the chef/restaurateurs.
The Yucatán dish Pollo Pibil, for example, has been on Cafe Pasqual's menu since opening day, Kagel says. Traditional pibil cooking involves wrapping the meat in banana leaves, burying it in a pit, and slow-roasting it. For restaurant preparation, Kagel marinates the chicken in a mixture of spices, achiote, salt, garlic, orange and lime juices for 24 to 36 hours; grills it over hot coals for 15 to 20 minutes; then serves the poultry on a banana leaf accompanied by saffron rice and vegetables.
Another of Kagel's – and her customers' – favorites is the Grilled Free-Range Chicken Breast Sandwich topped with jalape–os and manchego cheese and served on chile corn bread. "They fly out the door," she laughs. "They still have wings!"
Duck is the bird of choice at Salbute, where one of the best-selling entrees is the Pan-Fired Mayan Duck Breast with Morita -Tamarind Sauce. "The sauce is sweet-and-sour, but spicy," Edgar Rodriguez explains. He uses morita chiles ("a sweet pepper, but hot") in the sauce because the flavor plays well with the tamarind's sweetness.
Edgar Rodriguez also uses duck in the popular Grilled Quesadilla with Oaxaca Cheese, Caramelized Pecans and Duck Confit. The confit – shredded duck thighs roasted with a mixture of salt and pepper, sugar, cumin, oregano and "a little epazote if I have it" – is not hard to prepare, but takes at least three hours to cook, he says.
Chicken, too, is featured in many of the restaurant's dishes including the signature Salbute appetizer: tostados topped with shredded chicken breast in an achiote-bitter orange marinade.
Restaurants looking for a new twist on Mexican dishes can take the lead from Douglas Rodriguez by featuring a Latino-inspired item or two on their menus, possibly as specials to introduce customers to new flavors. "Given the versatility of Mexican regional cuisine, there is a lot of leeway for such a thing," he says.
Two of Douglas Rodriguez's most popular dishes are the Aji de Gallina (Peruvian Spicy Chicken), a Peruvian hen stew with walnut and aji amarillo, topped with grilled chicken breast and finished with sliced blue potatoes and olives, and the Alino Chicken, an achiote-based eucalyptus-wood roasted split chicken with malanga hash, endive salad and Peruvian mushroom mojo.
Another recipe to try is the Turkey Tenderloin with Mole Rub, a perfect addition for the outdoor or indoor grilling season. You can serve it with the fresh, fruity Grilled Pineapple-Tomatillo Salsa during the warm-weather months,then try the Cranberry Mojo for the fall-winter holiday season.
Recipe from Chef Edgar Rodriguez, Salbute, Hinsdale, IL
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Pato con Morita-Tamarindo (Pan-fired Mayan Duck with Morita-Tamarind Sauce) Makes 4 servings | |||
| The turkey: | |||
| 4 | Mapleleaf duck breastss, 8 oz. ea. | ||
| 1/2 | lb. purple Peruvian potatoes | ||
| 1/2 | lb. Golden Yukon potatoes | ||
| 1/2 | lb. Rose Finn fingerling potatoes | ||
| 1 | c. fresh corn | ||
| 1/2 | lb. blanched fresh fava beans | ||
| 1/2 | c. wild rice | ||
| 8 | garlic cloves | ||
| 9 | pearl onions | ||
| 1 | T. cumin | ||
| 2 | T. olive oil | ||
| 1 | t. paprika | ||
| 2 | T. fresh basil | ||
| Salt and pepper, to taste | |||
| Morita-Tamarind Sauce | |||
| The sauce: | |||
| 2 | garlic cloves, minced | ||
| 1 | shallot, minced | ||
| 2 | Morita peppers, chopped | ||
| 1/2 | c. white wine | ||
| 1/4 | c. tamarind syrup | ||
| 1/4 | c. chicken stock | ||
| Salt and pepper | |||
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Deglaze pan with white wine; add garlic, shallot and tamarind, Morita pepper and chicken stock; season to taste with salt and pepper. Let simmer until syrup consistency. To assemble: Spoon warm potato mixture onto 4 warm plates. Slice duck breast and arrange on plates with meat resting against potatoes. Drizzle a little warmed reduction sauce onto each plate.
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Recipe by Katherine Kagel, Cafe Pasqual's, Santa Fe, NM. Reprinted with permission from "The Food of Santa Fe" by Dave Dewitt and Nancy Gerlach. Photo by Eduardo Fuss. Tuttle Publishing, Periplus Editions; phone 802-773-8930.
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Pollo Pibil Makes 6 servings | |||
| 4 | t. cumin seeds | ||
| 1 | cinnamon stick, preferably Mexican | ||
| 1 | t. whole cloves | ||
| 1-1/2 | T. whole black peppercorns | ||
| 1/2 | c. achiote paste | ||
| 3 | T. Kosher salt | ||
| 2 | T. finely minced garlic | ||
| 2 | c. orange juice, preferably fresh | ||
| 1/2 | c. lime juice, preferably fresh | ||
| 2 | T. fresh marjoram leaves, or 1 T. dried | ||
| 1/2 | c. olive oil | ||
| 6 | skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved | ||
| Banana leaves | |||
| 6 | grilled scallions | ||
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To prepare chicken, roast cumin, cinnamon, cloves and peppercorns in a small, dry sauté pan over medium heat, shaking pan frequently, until fragrant, about 2 min. Remove spices from heat and let cool. Place spices in a spice mill, coffee grider or mortar and grind them until they're pulverized. Put spices, achiote, salt, garlic, orange and lime juices, marjoram and oil in a blender or food processor and process just long enough to blend. Place chicken breasts in shallow nonreactive dish, pour spice mixture evenly over top to cover completely. Cover dish and let chicken marinate in refrigerator for at least 24 hours (up to 36 hours), turning it frequently. Prepare fire in charcoal grill. When coals are medium-hot, remove chicken from marinade and put skin-side down on grill about 6 inches above coals. Grill them, turning once, until done, 15 to 20 minutres. Be careful not to overcook; chicken should be juicy. Garnish each breast with one grilled scallion. Serve on a banana leaf.
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Reprinted from "Douglas Rodriguez's Latin Flavors on the Grill," Copyright 2000, Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA., www.tenspeed.com. Pictured with Grilled Pineapple-Tomatillo Salsa; Photo by Rodney Weidland.
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Turkey Tenderloin with Mole Rub (drizzled with Cranberry Mojo) Makes 6 servings | |||
| 6 | turkey tenderloins | ||
| 6 | T. vegetable oil | ||
| 6 | T. mole rub | ||
| The mole rub: | Makes about 1-1/3 cups | ||
| 1/4 | c. cocoa powder | ||
| 1/4 | c. powdered sugar | ||
| 1/4 | c. salt | ||
| 2 | T. sesame seeds, toasted | ||
| 2 | T. finely ground roasted peanuts | ||
| 1 | T. ground pepper | ||
| 1 | T. ground New Mexican red chile | ||
| 1 | T. ground ancho chile | ||
| 1 | T. ground chipotle chile | ||
| 1 | t. ground ginger | ||
| 1 | t. ground star anise | ||
| 1 | t. ground cinnamon | ||
| 1/4 | t. ground cloves | ||
| 1-1/2 | t. ground coriander | ||
| 1-1/2 | t. ground dried oregano | ||
| 1/2 | t. ground dried marjoram | ||
| 1/4 | t. ground allspice | ||
| Thoroughly mix together all the ingredients. Use at once or store in an airtight jar at room temperature. | |||
| The cranberry mojo: | |||
| 1 | qt. cranberry juice | ||
| 2 | c. fresh or frozen cranberries (unthawed, if frozen) | ||
| 1 | med. red onion, finely chopped | ||
| 1/2 | c. finely chopped chives | ||
| 2 | jalapeños, seeded and minced | ||
| Juice of 5 limes | |||
| 1/4 | c. mustard oil | ||
| Salt and freshly ground black pepper | |||
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Pour cranberry juice into a nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and reduce to syrupy and glossy state. There should be about 1/2 cup of liquid left. Remove from heat and set aside. In food processor, pulse cranberries until a fine dice is achieved. Do not purée. Transfer cranberries to mixing bowl and add the reduced cranberry juice, onion, chives, jalapeños, lime juice, mustard oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Refrigerate. | |||
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The turkey: Rub tenderloins with the oil, then rub with the mole seasoning to completely cover. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. Prepare a medium-low fire in the grill. Place tenderloins on hot grate for 10 to 12 minutes, turning frequently. Transfer the cooked turkey to a cutting board and slice into 1/4-inch round slices. Fan out the turkey slices on serving plates and drizzle with the mojo.
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