Sea bass steamed in corn husks with texas red chilli sauce
Ingredients
Sea bass fillets
Hoja santa leaves (can substitute spinach or Swiss chard)
Dried corn husks soaked in water until soft
Corn tortillas
For the Texas red chilli sauce: ½ cup hulled pumpkin seeds
½ cup sesame seeds
1tbs olive oil
½ cup almonds
6 plum tomatoes
1 small onion quartered
4 cloves garlic
1tbs vegetable oil
2lbs chicken wings or legs cut into pieces
½tsp cumin seeds lightly toasted
1/8tsp ground cloves
½tsp dried oregano
8 ancho chillies (about 4oz) stemmed seeded and torn into rough pieces
2 corn tortillas cut into quarters
6 cups chicken stock or water
2tsp coarse salt
½tsp black pepper
1tbs maple syrup or brown sugar
Method
To make the sauce toast pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over a medium heat. They are done when they puff and pop. Do not burn. Cool and reserve.
Add sesame seeds to the pan and toast over moderate heat. Cool and reserve.
Lightly fry almonds in 1tbs of olive oil until the skins are cracked. Cool and reserve.
Combine the tomatoes onions and garlic roast at 400°F until the tomatoes are blistered and the onions caramelised. Cool and reserve.
Brown the chicken before adding chicken stock or water. Boil and simmer for up to an hour. Soak ancho chillies until soft.
Combine the chillies nuts and seeds ground clove and oregano the toasted tortilla pieces roasted tomatoes onion and garlic in a blender.
Add two cups of the chicken stock and purée until smooth. Add purée to the simmering chicken. Continue simmering for an hour until thickened. Season add maple syrup. Remove the chicken and reserve the sauce.
In hot peanut or vegetable oil lightly fry the tortillas on each side so they are soft and flexible. Drain. Cover to keep warm and moist.
Blanch the hoja santa leaves and refresh. Cut into pieces the size of the pieces of fish. Season fish and wrap in leaves. If using spinach or Swiss chard add a few leaves of tarragon.
Dip the tortilla in the red chilli sauce and wrap fish in it. Lay in a corn husk with the seam side down. Cover with a second corn husk. Steam.
To serve remove the top corn husk and ladle warmed red chilli sauce over the exposed fish. Garnish plate with ground toasted pumpkin seeds.
