Ancho Chile And Orange Marinade

Ingredients

Makes about 1 cup

Warming, rich, lively, but not too hot, this marinade lends verve to chicken, seafoods, pork, and vegetables for grilling, roasting, braising or sauteing. It keeps for a month in the refrigerator. Adding a few spoonfuls to your favorite soup can really be dynamite!

• 1/4 teaspoon each whole cumin and coriander seeds

• 1/2 medium onion, thickly sliced

• 8 large cloves garlic, unpeeled

• 8 dried ancho chiles

• generous pinch cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• shredded zest of a large orange

• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

• hot water

• juice of a large orange, or more to taste

• juice of 1/2 lime

• salt to taste

In a heavy skillet over medium heat toast the cumin and coriander about 5 minutes, or until aromatic. Grind to a powder in a coffee mill or with a mortar and pestle. Add onion, garlic, and chilies to pan, roasting chilies 3 to 5 minutes until aromatic. Remove immediately. Take onion slices to golden and garlic to slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Stem and seed chiles, then cover with hot water and let soak 30 minutes. Meanwhile toast cinnamon, pepper, and orange zest 10 seconds over medium.

Combine all ingredients in a blender (peeling garlic first), including chiles and a few tablespoons of their liquid. Puree, season to taste, and refrigerate until needed. Marinate larger pieces of meat or poultry from several hours to overnight. Chicken breasts could go from several hours to overnight. Fish needs only an hour or so, while vegetables (thick sliced onions, zucchini, carrots, sweet potatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes, corn on the cob) are ready for cooking within an hour. Always refrigerate marinating foods.

Copyright 1996 Lynne Rossetto Kasper

Instructions