New World Kitchen : Latin American and Caribbean Cuisine

From the African-infused Creole cuisines of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica, to South American flavors from Brazil, Peru, and Argentina, to the distinct tastes of Mexico, Van Aken works his magic on this luscious cornucopia and emerges with a wealth of brilliant recipes. Lush color photos are by the winner of the James Beard Foundation's award for food photography. Four 8-page color inserts.

World-renowned chef and culinary innovator, Norman Van Aken is the owner of the award-winning Miami restaurant Norman's. He is one of the only chefs in America to have won the James Beard Award, the Robert Mondavi Award, and the Food Arts Silver Spoon for lifetime achievement

New World Kitchen
Latin American and Caribbean Cuisine

Grouper Ceviche With Three Fruit Juices

Serves 6

Tumbo, a fruit native to Peru in the same Passiflora family as maracuyá, or passion fruit, was probably employed in the making of the first ceviches. It is not as acidic as lime or lemon but it is sufficiently tart to marinate fish. Today Peruvians still use the fruit to make the dish, but because it is unlikely you'll find tumbo in any grocery store north of Lima, I've used, grapefruit and lime juice here; I add passion fruit juice at the very end to make sure its distinctive taste stays clear.

Ingredients

12 ounces grouper fillets
1 cup fresh grapefruit juice
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 Scotch bonnet chile, stemmed, seeded, and mincedKosher salt
1 small ripe tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/2 small red onion, minced
3 tablespoons finely diced black olives
2 scallions, white parts only, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1/3 cup passion fruit juice
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Cut the grouper into 1/6-inch-thick bite-sized pieces. In a bowl, combine the grapefruit juice, lime juice, and Scotch bonnet. Add the fish and marinate, covered, for about 10 minutes in the refrigerator.

Drain the fish in a strainer, pressing firmly to release as much moisture from the grouper as possible. While the fish is still in the strainer, salt it evenly.

Transfer the fish to a bowl, add the remaining ingredients, and stir well. Serve.

Recommended Wine: For a dry wine with some initial fruit offerings, such as an Arneis from Piedmont, or, for more fruit, a big-style Soave from Veneto.

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Picadillo de Pavo
(Ground-Turkey Stew with Raisins, Green Olives, and Capers)

Serves 8

The turkey we know today is native to the New World, but its proliferation in our cuisine comes courtesy of the Spaniards, who turned out to be adept at domesticating the wild birds. Picadillo is a dish you will find in every humble Cuban café and in homes as well, but it is traditionally made with ground beef. I serve it with black beans and white rice. Prepare the picadillo while the beans and rice cook.

Ingredients

For The Picadillo

1/4 cup pure olive oil
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey (breast and leg meat mixed)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 medium red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
1 yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 large tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup Spanish dry sherry
1/2 cup small capers, well rinsed and chopped
1 1/2 cup raisins or currants, roughly chopped
5 tablespoons lightly rinsed and roughly chopped green olives
3/4 cup sliced scallions (green and white parts)

1 recipe Black Beans (page 202), for serving
1 recipe Basic White Rice (page 196), for serving

Instructions

for the picadillo

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Put the turkey in the skillet and cook, separating the clumps of meat with a spoon or spatula, until crumbly and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the turkey and any juices to a bowl. Reserve.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the butter to the skillet and heat until hot. Add the garlic, onion, and bell peppers, season with salt and pepper, and sautéfor 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the turkey, tomato, tomato paste, red wine, sherry, capers, raisins, olives, and scallions. Lower the heat to medium-low, season to taste, and cook for about 15 minutes until the flavors marry. Remove from the heat.

Spoon the rice into serving bowls, and top with the black beans. Top with the picadillo and serve.

recommended wine: A medium-bodied Pinot Noir from Carneros or a Bourgogne Rouge from Burgundy would be seductive with the food's acidity and would sharpen the sweetness of the peppers.

New World Kitchen
Latin American and Caribbean Cuisine. Copyright © by Norman Van Aken . Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.

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Excerpted from New World Kitchen: Latin American and Caribbean Cuisine by Norman Van Aken, Janet Van Aken, Aken N. Van
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.