A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to a foodie event that I wasn’t able to attend. Renowned Chef Ricardo Zarate cooked several honey-infused, Peruvian-fusion dishes to demonstrate the versatility of this natural sweetener. With Valentine’s Day just a few days away, I thought I’d share some of the gourmet recipes innovated by Chef Zarate, owner of Mo-Chica and Picca in Los Angeles. With recipes like these, you don’t have to go out to enjoy a romantic gourmet dinner on this special day.
Uni Crostini
Serves 8
Ingredients:
Tomato Compote:
1 tbs pure honey
6 tomatoes
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
Crostinis:
1 French baguette, sliced into ¼” to ½” slices
3 tbs olive oil
Aji Amarillo Honey Vinaigrette:
¼ cup honey
1 tbs aji amarillo paste
¼ cup lime juice
¼ cup olive oil
Sea Urchin:
1 lb sea urchin (uni)
Notes: You can find sea urchin at any Japanese store. If you cannot find sea urchin, you can substitute with raw scallops or salmon. Aji Amarillo paste is a yellow Peruvian chili paste available in Latin supermarkets. You may also use any chili paste of your choice.
Preparation:
1) Crostini:
Brush the slices of French baguette with the olive oil and toast in the oven at 350° F until lightly crisp.
2) Tomato compote:
In a small pot, boil enough water to cover the tomatoes, then blanch the tomatoes for 20 seconds. Remove the tomatoes from the water. Peel and slice them, then use a spoon to take out the seeds before putting them on a flat tray. Drizzle the tomatoes with 1 tbs of honey and 1 tbs of olive oil. Put in the oven and roast them for 15 minutes at 350° F. Crush the tomatoes and add a 1 tbs of balsamic vinegar.
3) Aji Amarillo honey vinaigrette:
In a bowl, mix together honey, aji amarillo paste, lime juice and olive oil.
4) Uni sea urchin crostini:
Spread the tomato compote on the French baguette slices. Top with a piece of uni and dress with aji amarillo honey vinaigrette.
Organic Chicken Breast with Honey Blue Cheese Sauce
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Chicken
4 whole organic chicken breasts
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
Touch of olive oil
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Saikio Miso Sauce:
2 cups honey
2 cups apple vinegar
8 tbs aji amarillo paste
3 cups saikio miso paste
½ cup olive oil
Honey Blue Cheese Sauce:
1 cup honey
1 lb blue cheese
1 ¼ cup apple vinegar
Vegetables:
Root vegetables (fresh veggies of the day such as baby carrots, potatoes, etc)
5 tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper (to taste)
2 tbs pure honey (for glaze)
2 tbs butter (for glaze)
Preparation:
1) Chicken Breasts
Marinate the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, chopped garlic and touch of olive oil. Grill them until cooked and golden brown.
2) Saikio miso sauce
In a pot, mix the honey, apple vinegar, aji amarillo paste, saikio miso paste and olive oil until sauce boils. Cool.
3) Honey blue cheese sauce
Blend the blue cheese, apple vinegar and honey in a blender.
4) Season the root vegetables with salt, pepper and olive oil. Roast them in the oven at 300° Farenheit for 20-35 minutes. Glaze with honey and butter. The smaller the vegetables or vegetable pieces, the faster they will cook.
Plating:
Top each chicken breast with one tablespoon of honey blue cheese sauce then place on the roasted vegetables. Final touch, add the saikio miso sauce to the chicken.
Picarones
Ingredients:
Picarones:
1 lb red yam
1 lb kabocha squash (can be substituted for any seasonal squash)
1 ½ lb all-purpose flour
3 tbs yeast
2 cinnamon sticks
4 cloves
3 tbs granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
Honey Figs Compote:
1 cup honey
1 lb black figs (can be substituted for pineapple or other seasonal fruit)
2 cups water
Preparation:
1) Picarones:
Boil the red yam and the kabocha squash with the cinnamon stick, and the cloves, until cooked, approximately 30 minutes. Discard the cinnamon sticks and cloves. Drain and puree the squash and the red yam. Let it cool down.
In a bowl mix the puree with the eggs, the yeast, the sugar and the salt. Add the flour and make a dough with it. Let it rest in a clean large bowl for one hour. Heat oil in a deep-frying pan. Shape dough into little balls (approximately ½ inch in diameter) and drop them into the hot oil and cook until golden brown.
2) Honey figs compote:
In a pot, heat the water and the honey. Let it boil before you add the black figs, then reduce over low heat until the figs are fully soft (approximately 40 minutes).
Plating:
Put a couple of picarones in the middle of the plate and drizzle with the reduction. Serve warm.
You can find an array of honey-inspired recipes at the National Honey Board.
No compensation as received for this post.
Recipe and Photo Credit: The National Honey Board
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