Scallops and Cabbage in Chipotle-Ginger Broth
Morita chiles are red, fully mature Chipotles. This gives them a unique, medium – hot smokey flavor which is popular in many Southwestern dishes. These can be added to sauces (including Mole) to add smokey flavor and maintain the red color of the sauces. These peppers are about 2-4 inches in length, 1 inch in width, and have a deep brick reddish brown color. The word Chipotle translated to smoked chile. Consider the Chipotle a 6.5 on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the hottest). Scoville heat units 7,000-25,000.
Suggested Use:
Use Morita in enchilada sauces, chili, stews, barbecue ribs, and corn bread. Their smoky quality combines well with poultry, meats and fall squash.
Ingredients:
Scallops:
20 large scallops
4 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lime, sliced
8 sprigs cilantro
Chipotle-Ginger Broth:
4 medium chipotle chiles
2 cascabel chiles
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil (not olive oil)
I medium onion, sliced thinly and then cut into strips
6 large shallots, sliced thinly and then cut into strips
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. grated ginger
1 cup veal stock (canned beef broth may be used)
1 cup chicken stock (canned may be used)
4 Tbsp. maple syrup, or to taste
4 Tbsp. lime juice, or to taste
2 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. white pepper
Cabbage:
1 head napa cabbage
1/4 cup salt
4 wonton wrappers (optional garnish; available in produce or frozen section of supermarkets)
vegetable oil for frying
Instructions:
For the scallops:
Rinse the scallops in cold water, then pat dry, and remove the small muscle attached to side. Place the scallops in a medium bowl with olive oil, lime and cilantro. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours. Just before serving, cook the scallops on a very hot grill until medium-rare (about 2 minutes on each side).
For the chipotle-ginger broth:
Soak the chiles in hot water until they are pliable. Pat them dry and remove the seeds and veins. Cut the chiles in julienne strips. Put some oil in a heavy, nonreactive pan and cook the chiles, onion, shallots, garlic and ginger over high heat until well caramelized. Add the veal and chicken stock and cook over medium heat until the liquid reduces by one third. Add the maple syrup, lime juice, salt and pepper.
For the cabbage:
Cut the cabbage crosswise into 1″ slices starting at the top. Discard the bottom inch. Rinse and drain, then put the cabbage in a large pot (about 1 gallon) of boiling salted water and cook for 2 minutes and drain. If not serving immediately, plunge the cabbage into some ice water, then reheat in a little boiling water while the scallops are cooking. Cut 3 slits (like the spokes of a wheel) almost to the center of each wonton wrapper and fry them in vegetable oil until they are golden brown.
To serve:
Divide the cabbage among 4 dinner plates or shallow bowls and surround each portion with 5 scallops. Pour a generous cup of chipotle-ginger broth around the cabbage and scallops. Garnish each plate with a fried wonton.
Yields 4 servings.
Recipe from Texas Monthly, March 1998.