Chipotle or Morita Chile Paste – Pasta de Chile Seco

Pasta de Chile Seco

Zarela’s Veracruz, Houghton Mifflin, 2001

Don’t let the sweet, seductive, smoky smell of Salsa de Chile Seco, a powerful hotter-than-hell condiment,that  appears on many Veracruzan tables in different versions.  Veracruzan chipotles sing with flavor not always matched by the kind available in this country. However, I find that ordinary moritas can pack a punch of complexity –- not just heat –- when handled with skill.

The following formula yields a versatile paste that can be employed either as a flavor adjunct to be used in cooking or as a dipping sauce served with chips.   It comes from the restaurateur Tomasita Meléndez Hernández.  Her pasta de chile seco is glorious as a vivid but not overpowering intensifier of seafood and other dishes.  Rub it over the skin and the inside of a white fish or chicken to be baked or poached, or add a tablespoon or two to perk up a simple sauce like Caldillo de Tomate .  It’s also a great addition to U.S. style barbecue sauces.

This versatile paste is also the basis of a sauce as heady and many-sided as the Provencal aioli: the seductive and addictive mayonesa de chipotle, made by combining 1 cup mayonnaise with 1 – 2 tablespoons Pasta de Chile Seco and (optional) 1 garlic clove. Either mince the garlic fine and combine with the other ingredients or puree all ingredients in a food processor.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

4 ounces dried (not canned) morita, Oaxacan pasilla or chipotle chiles (about 50 small or 30 large chiles)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 large garlic cloves

2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

Remove the stems and tops from the chiles.  Either lightly wipe them with a slightly dampened cloth (as is done in Veracruz) or rinse them under cold running water and let them thoroughly dry at least overnight, to be sure no water clings to them.

In a medium-sized heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the oils over a medium heat.  When fragrant, add the chiles.  Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting.  Cook, stirring constantly, until they are puffed and somewhat red.  Be careful not to let them scorch.

Transfer the fried chiles to a medium-sized bowl, reserving the oil left in the skillet.  Cover them with boiling water, let stand for 40 minutes, and drain.  Reserve a little of the soaking water (1/4 – 1/3 cup) if desired, to help in processing.

Puree the garlic and salt together in a food processor.  Add the drained chiles and reserved oil; process until smooth, adding a little of the soaking liquid or more oil if necessary to help the action of the blades.  Scrape the paste out into a small container and store in the refrigerator, tightly sealed, for up to a month.