always, it’s the condiments that (could) kill me.
When I dine at friends’ homes, and they know of my garlic allergy, they are so kind and careful never to cook with garlic. But it is hidden everywhere - not just in prepared foods where one might expect it, but in all sorts of condiments: mustards, mayos, ketchups, steak sauces, soup bases, hot sauces, and rubs.
Who would think that a teaspoon of Worcestershire Sauce would make me sick? Or that a run-of-the-mill mustard would have garlic. I have nearly poisoned myself by using a condiment that I assumed was garlic-free. Maybe my next thriller will be “Death by Condiments.”
I, along with my friends, have come to excel in label reading. And, now that my eyesight is getting worse, I discovered a new trick! When in the grocery store, I take a photo of the label with my cell phone and then enlarge the photo on my screen so I can read it. (A note to label creators: Try using contrast. White font on a light beige background is hell. As is brown on black. Just sayin’…) The other day in the grocery store I was comparing two boxes of chicken broth within the same brand: a new organic version, their old tried-and-true. Normally, I would take the organic but, for some reason, their “new” organic broth has garlic. Their old recipe does not. What's with that?
Chipotle chiles in adobo (dried, smoked jalapeño peppers revived in a tomato-based sauce) is one of our favorite condiments for adding to soups, stews, vegetables, marinades, and sauces. They are widely available in small cans but only once was I able to find a can that didn’t list garlic. And that was more than 25 years ago.
Thus, like many condiments everyone else has the luxury of taking for granted - taking from the grocery shelf - I need to make my own. Truth be told, this turns out to be a lot of fun, and the kitchen smells great. Honestly, I think learning to make my own condiments has made me better cook. It certainly makes me appreciate how flavoring happens in food, and what the home cook had to do before there were millions of tiny bottles of this-and-that available for purchase.
If your are unfamiliar with this condiment, here is a link to a Santa Fe Chipotle Corn Chowder that will warm any winter night. I hope it is warm where you are... if not, make some chipotles in adobo and feel the heat!
~David
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| Thanks to Laura & Arch for the beautiful tea towel & ceramic bowl from Oaxaca. |
Chipotle Chiles in Adobo
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large white onion, peeled and chopped (a generous cup)
2 shallots, peeled and chopped
1 ounce dried chipotle peppers (I got them from Penzeys)
3 cups boiling water
1 cup canned tomato sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
reserved soaking liquid, as necessary
Heat the olive oil on a skillet over medium-low heat and cook onions and shallots until clear and slightly golden.
While the onions and shallots are cooking, remove the stems from the chiles and place them in a bowl. Cover them with boiling water and weigh them down with a small plate; soak for 20 minutes. They will not soften as much as other chiles; don’t be concerned if they feel leathery.
Remove the soaked chipotles and place them in a blender (see note below); reserve soaking liquid. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, and brown sugar. Blend until you have a uniform paste.
Scrape the blended chipotles and tomato sauce into saucepan and add in 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid.
Add the cooked onions and shallots, along with the salt and vinegar to the pan. (If you are keeping some chiles whole, add them at this point.) Mix well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 90 minutes until very thick. Check often after the first hour. If the sauce has dried too much, add reserved soaking liquid as needed, using water if you run out of soaking liquid. As it cooks, the mixture will turn a very dark, mahogany brown.
I like to purée the mixture one more time before putting it in jars. Leave it chunky, if you prefer. Keep it refrigerated, or freeze.
Makes between 1 1/2 and 2 cups.
Note: If you would like some whole chipotle chilies, purée half of them with the tomato sauce, and reserve the remainder to cook whole.
Labels: chipotle chiles in adobo, condiment, homemade, smoked jalapeños
