Profile: Rick Bayless This installment of our Fresh Choices recipe section is dedicated to Rick Bayless, who is one of the chef's featured in the the cookbook.
Profile: Rick Bayless
Cooking Fresh with Mexican Flair
Rick Bayless has immersed himself in the culture and cuisine of Mexico for more than 25 years. A useful background given that Rick and his wife, Deann, operate the wildly successful Chicago restaurants Frontera Grill and Topolobampo. But while their places of business may focus on fabulous food, drinks, and service, it is equally important to acknowledge the couple's admiration for the people who grow the restaurants’ ingredients: the farmers themselves.
Rick has spent more than 20 years developing close relationships with local farmers. He buys directly from small, local producers that approach agriculture like artisans and responsible land stewards. These farmers encourage biodiversity by planting a wide range of produce. They grow high-quality food without unnecessarily harming our soil and water. Rick uses meats from producers that raise livestock responsibly, keeping their focus on quality and sustainable methods of humane animal husbandry.
Rick names these farmers right on his restaurant menus. You’ll see dishes made with “Steve Grebb’s garlic,” “Maple Creek pork,” and “Gunthorp chicken.”
“I’ve gained a massive appreciation for organic farmers,” he says. “They are some of the smartest people on the planet.”
Shrimp tends to be one of the seafoods that is lowest in mercury content, making it a good choice for your family meals, as mercury can be especially dangerous to born and unborn children.
Ingredients:
About 8 bamboo skewers
1 generous pound peeled shrimp or prawns* (about 24 pieces)
Olive oil
1/2 cup cup fresh lime juice, plus several lime slices for garnish
1/2 medium white onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus several sprigs for garnish
1/2 cup ketchup
1 to 2 tablespoons bottled hot sauce**
About 2 tablespoons olive oil (optional but recommended to smooth out sharpness)
1 cup diced peeled cucumber or jicama (or 1/2 cup of each)
1 small ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and cubed
Salt, about 1/2 teaspoon
Tostadas, chips or saltine crackers for serving
Directions
Preheat the gas grill or prepare a charcoal grill. Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes. Skewer the shrimp, about 6 per skewer; thread a second skewer through the shrimp so they won’t turn on the grill. Spray generously with oil. Grill, turning once until opaque, about 4 minutes total. Let the shrimp cool completely. Cut cooked shrimp into half-inch pieces and place in a large non-aluminum bowl. Toss with the lime juice, cover and refrigerate to chill.
In a small strainer, rinse the onion under cold water, then shake off the excess liquid. Add to the shrimp bowl, along with the cilantro, ketchup, hot sauce, optional olive oil, cucumber or jicama and avocado. Taste and season with salt, if you think it needs any. Cover and refrigerate, if not serving immediately.
Spoon the ceviche into martini glasses, juice glasses or small bowls; garnish with sprigs of cilantro and slices of lime. Serve with tostadas, tortilla chips or saltines to enjoy alongside.
* Preferably trap-caught spot prawns or medium-size turtle-safe shrimp if you can find them.
** Frontera Tangy Toasted Arbol Hot Sauce is what Rick uses,
but it may not be readily available in all stores.
Chiptole-Glazed Shrimp
By Rick Bayless, for a Tabasco-related
cooking demonstration. (Makes 6 servings)
Ingredients
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 small white onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick
3 ripe plum tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon black pepper, preferably freshly ground
1/8 teaspoon cloves, preferably freshly ground
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 4 tablespoons chipotle pepper sauce
Salt, about 1/2 teaspoon
2 pounds (about 50) medium-large shrimp
Directions
On an grill pan or ungreased griddle set over medium, roast the garlic cloves and onion slices, turning occasionally, until soft and golden brown in spots, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool and peel the garlic. Roast the tomatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet set 4 inches below a very hot broiler until blackened in spots and soft, about 6 minutes; flip and roast the other side.
Cool and peel, collecting all the juices with the tomatoes. Combine all the roasted ingredients in a food processor or blender, along with the pepper, cloves and 1/4 cup water. Process to a medium-smooth puree.
Heat the oil in a very large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high. Add the puree and stir for several minutes as the mixture sears and darkens, then reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring regularly, until very thick, about 5 minutes.
A tablespoon at a time, stir in the chipotle sauce, adding it until the sauce suits your own taste for spiciness. Season with salt and remove from the heat.
Peel the shrimp, leaving the final joint and the tail intact. One at a time, devein the shrimp by laying them flat on your work surface and making a shallow incision down the back, exposing the (usually) dark intestinal track and scraping it out.
Return the skillet with the sauce to medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, then slowly stir and turn for about 3 to 4 minutes, until the shrimp are just cooked through. Sprinkle on a little more salt if necessary, then serve.