Yucatán Red Seasoning Paste Food

YUCATáN FISH

Steps:

• Make the pickled onions: Put onion in a bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Add serrano, 3 tablespoons orange juice and 2 tablespoons lime juice, then mix well. Set aside for at least 15 minutes. Combine and reserve remaining citrus juice for marinade.
• Make the marinade: Put achiote, cinnamon, oregano and chipotle in a small stainless steel or glass bowl. In a small dry skillet over medium heat, lightly toast cumin, cloves and allspice until fragrant, 1 minute or less. Grind toasted spices to a powder in a spice mill or mortar, then add to other spices. Add garlic, 1 large pinch salt and remaining citrus juice and stir to make a paste. If very thick, add more lime juice. (Note: achiote may stain surfaces or clothing.)
• Season fish on both sides with salt and pepper. Using a sharp knife, score skin at thickest parts, if desired. Paint fish on both sides with marinade. Squeeze a little lime juice over fish. Chill for 45 minutes (or up to 2 hours).
• Bring fish to room temperature and heat oven to 425 degrees. Cut banana leaves crosswise into footlong lengths and soften by passing them briefly over a stovetop burner. Rinse leaves and pat dry. Lay a double thickness of leaves on a baking sheet and lay fish on it, skin-side down. Top fish with a large handful of pickled onions. Arrange tomato wedges over onions. Sprinkle with salt and a little more lime juice. Lay more leaves on top, then wrap like a package, tying with string or strips of leaf. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove and let package rest, unopened, for 15 minutes. Serve with remaining pickled onions.

YUCATáN RED SEASONING PASTE

Steps:

• 1. Put the achiote paste in a blender jar. In a dry skillet, toast the garlic cloves, turning frequently, until the skins are flecked with brown spots and the garlic feels slightly tender when pinched, 4 to 5 minutes. Peel the garlic, chop it, and add it to the blender. 2. In the same skillet, toast the oregano, cumin, and peppercorns until aromatic, 10 to 15 seconds. Add to the blender along with the salt, allspice, cloves, and water. Blend to a thick paste as smooth as possible. Add another 1 to 2 teaspoons of water if the mixture is too thick to blend. Scrape the paste into a bowl. The paste is ready to use. If made ahead, cover and refrigerate up to 3 weeks. From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.