Albacora con Salsa de Palta - Albacore With Avocado Sauce
Serves 4
1 cup Salsa con Palta (recipe below)
4 1-inch thick center cut albacore steaks
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
freshly ground black pepper to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste
4 teaspoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Rub the albacore steaks with garlic, pepper and olive oil. Grill the steaks over hot coals or under the broiler about 3 to 4 minutes per side being careful not to overcook. Add salt to taste. Serve hot with Salsa con Palta and garnish with cilantro.
Salsa de Palta - Avocado Sauce
High temperatures increase the avocado's oxidation which causes them to turn gray so be careful not to overcook this sauce and avoid aluminum or cast iron containers.
3 tablespoons Salsa Blanca (see recipe in Aliños post)
1 cup milk
1 medium ripe avocado
1 small lemon
salt to taste
Dissolve the Salsa Blanca in the milk and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat but keep warm. Peel and puree the avocado in a blender or by hand with a fork and add lemon juice. Add the avocado puree to the warm milk mixture just before serving. Salt to taste and serve immediately.
Croquetas de Jaibas - Spicy Crab Cakes
Serves 2
Croquetas are made in Chile with precooked fish, shellfish, chicken, leftover beef, spinach, artichokes and other vegetables. The ají paste and Chilean paprika impart their unique flavor to these cakes making them quite different from the more common North American version.
1/2 pound crab meat, precooked
1/2 small white onion, peeled, finely chopped and sauteed
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 small lemon, juiced
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pinch of Ají de Color or Spanish paprika
Pasta de Ají to taste
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups fine bread crumbs
1/2 cup corn oil
2 tablespoons Mayonesa
In a glass or ceramic bowl, combine crab meat, sauteed onion, beaten egg, lemon juice, pepper, paprika, Pasta de Ají, flour (add through a sieve to prevent lumps) and melted butter, mix well. Form cakes about 2 inches in diameter and place on individual wax paper squares for easy handling. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Coat the cakes with break crumbs and fry in hot oil until brown on both sides. Serve hot with a dollop of Mayonesa on top.
