SPVAQ42020 - 21

▷▷6 MAHI-MAHI (6- OZ. PORTIONS)
▷▷2 LIMES, JUICED
▷▷1 TABLESPOON TAMARI
▷▷1 TABLESPOON COCONUT OIL

Mix the mahi-mahi with the lime juice
and tamari. Heat your sauté pan with
the coconut oil and cook the mahimahi for three minutes on both sides.
Brush with the Jamaican Jerk Glaze
(below), and top with Pineapple
Shrimp Salsa (below).
Jamaican Jerk Glaze
▷▷1 TABLESPOON JAMAICAN RUM
▷▷6 OZ. RAW HONEY
▷▷3 TABLESPOON JERK SEASONING
PASTE
▷▷2 TABLESPOON TAMARI
▷▷2 ORANGES, ZEST ONLY
▷▷3 SCALLIONS, MINCED
▷▷1 OZ. MIRIN
▷▷1 OZ. APPLE JUICE CONCENTRATE
▷▷1 TABLESPOON CORNSTARCH
SLURRY (A MIXTURE OF WATER AND
CORNSTARCH)

Blend all ingredients except the slurry
in a sauce pot, bring to a boil and
add simmer for 8 minutes. Add the
cornstarch slurry. Simmer one minute
and remove.

PINEAPPLE SHRIMP SALSA
▷▷½ POUND LARGE SHRIMP, PEELED
AND DEVEINED
▷▷JERK SEASONING, TO TASTE
▷▷1 TEASPOON OLIVE OIL
▷▷¼ TEASPOON SEA SALT
▷▷1 TABLESPOON AÑEJO TEQUILA
▷▷¼ PINEAPPLE, PEELED, CORED, AND
DICED TO ¼-INCH CUBES
▷▷¼ RED PEPPER, FINELY DICED
▷▷½ JALAPEÑO, FINELY DICED
▷▷¼ BUNCH CILANTRO, SHAVED
▷▷1 TABLESPOON OLIVE OIL
▷▷1 TABLESPOON LIME JUICE

Toss shrimp with jerk seasoning, olive
oil and salt. Bake in 350-degree oven
for 5 minutes and cool. Combine with
the rest of the ingredients and garnish
the finished dish.

QUESO FUNDIDO

Trevor Mogen-Westrick at Cocina on
Market in Leesburg, says, "We serve
super-good traditional queso fundido
at the restaurant as well as excellent
tequila. At home and especially during
quarantine, I ate a fair amount of
queso fundido at the house. I do a play
on Rick Bayless' tequila queso fundido
with some of the ingredients we use at
Cocina On Market. This recipe serves
8 comfortably, however, the queso is
so darn good that four will polish it off
with ease."
▷▷8 OZ. QUESO OAXACA (OR
MOZZARELLA, IF IT'S EASIER),
SHREDDED OR CRUMBLED
▷▷4 OZ. QUESO COTIJA (ANY SALTY
CHEESE THAT MELTS), SHREDDED OR
CRUMBLED
▷▷4 OZ. QUESO ASADERO (OR JACK
CHEESE), SHREDDED OR CRUMBLED
▷▷1 MEDIUM ONION, SMALL DICED
▷▷4 LARGE PLUM TOMATOES, SMALL
DICED, WITH THE CORES AND SEEDS
REMOVED
▷▷4 OZ. REPOSADO TEQUILA
▷▷1 JALAPEÑO, MINCED
▷▷1 SERRANO CHILI, MINCED
▷▷2 TABLESPOONS LARD OR OLIVE OIL
▷▷LOTS OF WARM CORN TORTILLAS
▷▷TAJIN, ANY SPICE LEVEL, TO TASTE
▷▷FRESH LIMES

Preheat oven to broil (or convection
broil). In a large cast-iron skillet, heat
the lard or oil on the stove. Add all the
veggies with a healthy pinch of salt.
(Don't be shy with the salt, the only
difference between restaurant food
and homecooked food is we all really
love salt and fat.) Stirring frequently,
sweat out all the aromatics until
translucent, about five minutes.
When all the vegetables are tender,
add tequila. Be careful if you're not
confident with a flaming pan. Just
relax, pull the pan back from the
stove, blow out the fire, and let the
liquor reduce while you stir up any
bits of flavor in the pan. When the pan
is au sec, or almost dry, toss in the
good stuff-cheese that is.

Whisk the cheese constantly
until it is gooey and delicious.
Finish the queso under a broiler in
the oven. I usually hit the top with
a blowtorch until it's golden brown.
Garnish with Tajin, salt to taste,
lime and cilantro. Give one last
gentle stir at time of service. Serve
straight out of the pan into soft
warm tortillas. Or tortillas chips. Or
straight into your mouth.
Note: This queso should be
greasy. It will separate in the pan
a little and be dripping with fat.
That's good, and that's what you
want. There's nothing healthy
about this. You can add chorizo.
Mushrooms work well, too.

TEQUILA CILANTRO SHRIMP

Easy but oh-so-pleasing, this recipe
from Ammar Ikram, owner and chef
of Flavour at Chefscape food hall
in Leesburg, can transform your
Friendsgiving meal. Or any meal, for
that matter.
▷▷1 POUND SHRIMP
▷▷¼ CUP CILANTRO
▷▷1½ OZ. TEQUILA
▷▷1½ OZ. OLIVE OIL
▷▷1 TABLESPOON MINCED GARLIC
▷▷1 TABLESPOON TAJIN SEASONING
▷▷1 TEASPOON SALT
▷▷1 TEASPOON PEPPER

Place all of the ingredients in a
Ziploc bag and mix thoroughly.
Heat up a cast iron skillet to
medium heat (if you do not have
a cast iron, any skillet will work).
Place everything from the Ziploc
bag into the skillet. Cook contents
until slightly charred, flipping
the shrimp occasionally so they
are cooked evenly. Turn off the
heat and add cilantro on top for a
garnish.
This dish is best served with
Spanish rice.

SPIRITED VIRGINIA | OCTOBER | NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2020 21
SPVAQ42020

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