Fish, Clams or Chicken in Chiltepin Sauce

The memory of  a tantalizing aroma wafting in the air as I walked down a dusty street in Papantla, Veracruz, while shooting my PBS series, ¡Zarela! La Cocina Veracruzana! is vivid in my mind.  It came from a brassier set in  doorway of the Rosticeria Bernal  and an overwhelming desire to eat whatever was cooking possessed me.  It was pollo al chiltepin (pieces of chicken marinated in a lime/chiltepín (tiny dried chiles.)

I walked away with a tangy, smoky, spicy, and juicy chicken leg and the recipe to boot.  Coincidentally that evening we were served fish cooked in the same sauce so yesterday I bought two too-thin fillets of grey sole and a dozen clams.  I made the full recipe for the marinade for the fish and steamed the clams in the rest. Delicious!

1 teaspoon whole chiltepín chiles or use cayenne just this once

1/2 teaspoon whole cumin

2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Juice of 3 limes

2 fish fillets or use 4 and eliminate the clams

I dozen little neck clams or

One 3 1/2 to 4-pound chicken, quartered

Place a small, heavy skillet over very low heat and let it get hot.  Add the chiles and toast, shaking the pan constantly, for 5 minutes or until fragrant and slightly brittle but not scorched.  Remove to a small bowl and set aside.  Return the pan to medium heat, let it heat thoroughly, and add the cumin.  Toast, shaking the pan constantly, for 5 minutes or until fragrant,  about 1 minute.  Add to the chiles in the bowl.  Let cool slightly; grind the toasted chiles and cumin to a powder in an electric spice or coffee grinder or in a mortar and pestle.

In a small bowl or mortar, mash the garlic to a paste with the salt and pepper.  Add the vinegar, lime juice, and cumin-chile mixture.  Place the fish (or chicken)  in a non-reactive bowl or dish.  Add half of the the mixture if using the 2 fillets and turn the pieces to moisten evenly.  Let sit, covered, in for 10-15  minutes, turning occasionally.

Heat a heavy skillet (I use my cast iron skillet) and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Remove the fish from the marinade (set it aside) and dry the fish with paper towels; cook, turning once. My fillets were very thin and cooked in 2 minutes on each side; thicker  pieces will take about 3- 4 minutes on each side.  Transfer immediately to a plate, add the reserved marinade to the pan; cook for one minute or until slightly  thickened and pour over  the fish and serve immediately.

For the clams:

Wash and scrub the clams and place in a medium-size pan; add the remaining marinade, cover tightly and cook ove medium heat until they open or about 5-7 minutes if they are big. Served in a bowl with the cooking juices.

For chicken:
Marinate , covered,in the refrigeator fo 1 -3 hours ;half an hour before you are ready to cook, light your grill by the manufacturer’s instructions.  Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill, allowing about 20 minutes per side for the legs and 15 minutes per side for the breast pieces.  The juices should run clear with no trace of pink when a sharp knife is inserted into the thickest part.