2 Thanksgiving Recipes From Chef Aarón Sánchez

November 8, 2011

Celebrity Chef Aarón Sánchez shares two of his favorite Thanksgiving recipes from his new book Simple Food, Big Flavor: Unforgettable Mexican-Inspired Recipes From My Kitchen To Yours. The book is organized by fifteen "base" recipes that then become a varity of wonderful dishes. For example his garlic-chipotle love base is a blend of roasted garlic, canned chipotles in adobo, cilantro, and lime zest. This mixture is then used to make chipotle-garlic mashed potatoes (featured below), bean and butternut squash picadillo, and mussels with beer and garlic-chipotle love. These recipes are accessible, easy to make and yet bursting with fresh and invigorating flavors. If you want to get to know Chef Sánchez a little better, click here and read my interview. Buen provecho!

Garlic-Chipotle Love (from page 6)
Makes 1 cup

Ingredients:

1 cup canola oil

12 garlic cloves, peeled

3 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Grated zest of 1 lime

1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.

2. Pour the oil into a heavy ovenproof medium saucepan and add the garlic. Cover the pot with foil, put it in the oven, and cook until the garlic turns a nutty brown and is really soft (think cream cheese), about 45 minutes.

3. Remove the pot from the oven and let the garlic and oil cool to room temperature.

4. Put the garlic and the now garlic-infused oil in a food processor or blender. Add the chipotles and sauce, cilantro, lime zest, and salt and puree until the mixture is very smooth.

5. Store in the fridge in a tightly covered container for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to a month.

Chorizo and Corn Bread Stuffing (from page 109)
Makes 3 cups

Ingredients:

1 pound Aarón’s Chorizo (page 102)

1 medium white onion, finely chopped

1 medium carrot, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 cups coarsely crumbled corn bread

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

½ cup chicken stock (low-sodium store bought is fine)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Chopped fresh cilantro and grated cotija (preferably the Cacique brand), for Garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the chorizo, breaking it up with a spoon and stirring occasionally as it cooks, until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have browned, about 10 minutes. Add the corn bread and cilantro. Gradually stir in enough of the stock so that the stuffing is not too dry but at the same time not too wet. Stir gently and well.

3. Butter a small casserole. Spread the stuffing in an even layer. Bake until it’s heated through and lightly browned on top, about 20 minutes. Serve right away, garnished with the cilantro and cotija.