Achiote Sauce Food

ACHIOTE PASTE

Steps:

• With a spice grinder, grind the annatto seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns, allspice berries, and cloves to a fine powder.
• In a blender or food processor, mix the ground spices, habanero peppers, orange juice, vinegar, garlic, and salt. Blend until smooth. Mix in the lemon juice and tequila.

GARLIC AND ACHIOTE FERMENTED HOT SAUCE

Steps:

• Pulse garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add chiles, salt, and sugar and pulse until chile pieces are no bigger than 1/2". Transfer mixture to jar and press down so chiles are slightly submerged in their own liquid. Cover with cheesecloth and fasten with kitchen twine or a rubber band. Let sit in a cool place away from direct sunlight at least 2 days and up to 5 days. The liquid will develop a slightly sour smell and there should be small bubbles scattered throughout. The longer you let it ferment, the more active it will become, but don't go longer than 5 days.
• Heat oil, achiote seeds, and paprika in a small saucepan over medium-high. As soon as small bubbles appear around the edges of the pan (2-3 minutes), let cook another 30 seconds; let cool. Strain oil through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl; discard solids.
• Blend achiote oil, vinegar, and two-thirds of chile mixture in a blender until smooth. Transfer to an airtight container and stir in remaining chile mixture.
• Do Ahead:
• Hot sauce can be made 2 weeks ahead; cover and chill.

PESCADO EN ACHIOTE (MEXICAN FISH IN ANNATTO SAUCE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine 3/4 cup water, achiote paste, onion, juice of 2 limes, juice of 1 orange, vinegar, garlic, 1 teaspoon oregano, salt, and pepper in a blender; blend until smooth.
• Season both sides of the fish fillets with salt and pepper, then brush the top with melted butter. Arrange fish fillets in a baking dish. Add shrimp on top and cover with achiote sauce. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 30 minutes.
• Place red onion and habanero peppers in a glass bowl. Add 1 cup water, juice of 1/2 orange, and juice of 1 lime; stir well and season with salt, peppercorns, and Mexican oregano.
• Serve fish and shrimp with achiote sauce and top with habanero sauce.

SCALLOPS POACHED IN ACHIOTE SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over moderate heat. saute the onions with the salt until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and achieve paste and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon to avoid scorching. Add the tomato paste and pour in the fish stock or clam juice and boil 5 minutes longer. Stir in the pepper and vinegar and remove from the heat.
• Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree. Pass through a strainer. The sauce keeps up to 4 days.
• To finish, pour the sauce into a large skillet. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the scallops or shrimp, reduce the heat to medium and cook 3 to 5 minutes. Serve over a bed of white rice and garnish with the capers or pickled onions.

ACHIOTE TILAPIA (SUPER SIMPLE)

Steps:

• Mix achiote paste together all ingredients down to the salt/pepper.
• Place fish in a shallow baking dish and pour achiote marinade over top.
• Cover dish and place in fridge for 2 hours.
• Remove fish from marinade (discard marinade) and place fish on cookie sheet; let stand at room temp for 15 minutes.
• Turn oven broiler to high and let heat up for 3-5 minutes.
• Place fish under the broiler until cooked (it will flake easily and be opaque in color), approx 5-7 minutes depending upon the heat of oven and the thickness of the fish.
• Serve fillets atop saffron rice or serve in corn torillas for excellent fish tacos.

GRILLED PORK AND PINEAPPLE SKEWERS WITH ACHIOTE SAUCE

Steps:

• Put wooden skewers in a pan of water for 30 minutes, so they don't burn on the grill.
• Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the achiote seeds. Turn off the heat and let the seeds steep until the oil turns a vibrant orange-red, about 5 minutes. Strain the oil through a fine-mesh sieve into a blender: discard the seeds. Add the vinegar, garlic, aji amarillo, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cover the blender and puree until well combined.
• Place the pork in a resealable gallon-sized plastic bag. Add the achiote marinade, turn the bag to coat the pork, squeeze out the air, and seal. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
• Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high (you may also preheat the oven broiler.).
• Remove the pork from the marinade; discard the marinade. Thread the pork onto the skewers alternating with pineapple and red onions. Grill (or broil) the pork skewers until they are browned on all sides, 4 to 6 minutes total cooking time. Take care not to overcook or the pork will become tough and dry. Serve the pork skewers on a bed of lettuce leaves and garnish with lime wedges. Pull the pork off the skewers onto a lettuce leaf and eat like a taco. For a great presentation, stick the skewers into a hole pineapple and put on the table with the lettuce and lime on the side.

ACHIOTE CHICKEN WITH TANGERINE SAUCE

Steps:

• Blend first 7 ingredients in processor to form paste. Place chicken in 8-inch square baking dish. Spread marinade over, turning to coat. Cover; refrigerate 2 to 4 hours.
• Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt. Add chicken to skillet; cook until brown, about 2 minutes per side. Add 1/2 cup tangerine juice to skillet. Cover; reduce heat to medium and simmer until chicken is cooked through, turning once, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to plates. Add remaining 1/2 cup juice to skillet; boil until thickened, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with cilantro.
• *Achiote paste is available at Latin markets.