Red Chile Crusted Sea Scallops With Mango Tortilla Salad And Citrus Vinaigrette Recipes

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place a baking sheet in the oven until hot. Put on rubber gloves and remove the stems and seeds from the chiles. Pull the baking sheet out of the oven and use tongs to arrange the chiles on it in a single layer. Slide back in the oven and roast until the chiles are fragrant, about 5 minutes.
• 2. Remove from oven and use tongs to transfer the chiles to a heatproof bowl. Add enough boiling water to cover the chiles and allow to sit until cool, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer the peppers and 3 cups of the soaking liquid to a food processor or blender. Reserve the remaining liquid. Blend or process the chiles until smooth.
• 3. Warm the oil over medium heat. Whisk in the masa harina. Reduce the heat to low and slowly add the pureed chiles, whisking constantly. Slowly whisk in salt to taste. Add additional water, if necessary, to get a thick but pourable consistency. This sauce will keep in a tightly covered glass jar up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen.

Steps:

• FOR THE SCALLOPS: Combine ancho, cumin, salt and pepper in a medium shallow bowl. Heat oil in a large sauté pan until smoking.
• Dredge 1 side of each scallop in the spice mixture. Place the scallops in the heated pan, chile side down and cook for 20 seconds.
• Reduce the heat low, turn the scallops and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from pan and reserve.
• FOR THE TORTILLA STRIPS: Heat oil to 375 degrees F. Fry the tortilla strips in batches. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels and season with salt.
• FOR THE VINAIGRETTE: Combine juices, basil and onion in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• FOR THE SALSA: Mix all ingredients into a small bowl.
• ASSEMBLY: Place mixed (salad) greens in a large bowl, drizzle with a few tablespoons of the vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Place the greens on a large platter. Arrange the scallops around the platter. Mound the mango salsa and then the fried tortillas in the center of the plate. Drizzle everything with more of the vinaigrette and serve.

Steps:

• Heat the broiler. Pull the stems off the dried chiles, tear them open and shake out the seeds (if you prefer a salsa with a more refined texture, be sure to remove all the seeds). Place in a bowl, cover with hot tap water and lay a plate on top to keep them submerged.
• Lay the whole tomatoes on a broiler pan or baking sheet. Set as close to the boiler as your oven allows and broil for about 6 minutes, until darkly roasted and blackened in spots - the tomato skins will split and curl. With a pair of tongs, flip over the tomatoes and roast them for another 6 minutes or so, until they are soft and splotched with dark spots. Set aside to cool.
• Turn the oven down to 425 degrees. Separate the onion into rings and, on a pan or baking sheet, combine it with the garlic. Set in the oven. Stir carefully every few minutes, until the onions are soft and beautifully roasted (don't worry if some of the edges char) and the garlic is soft and browned in spots, about 15 minutes total.
• If you're not inclined toward rustic textures in your salsa, pull off the peels from the cooled tomatoes and cut out the "cores" where the stems were attached; catch the flavorful juices on the baking sheet as you work, so as not to waste any of them. By now the chiles should be soft (to catch them at the perfect stage of rehydration - before they've lost much flavor into the water - soak them no longer than 30 minutes); drain. In a blender or food processor, combine the drained chiles with the tomatoes and their juice. Process to a fairly smooth puree - chile skins are tough, so you want to make sure they are chopped up enough. Scrape two-thirds of the puree into a large bowl. Roughly chop the onion and garlic, then add them to the blender containing the rest of the chile-tomato mixture. Pulse repeatedly until all is moderately finely chopped. Scrape down the sides from time to time to keep everything moving evenly; if the mixture just won't move through the blades, add a little water to loosen it up. Scrape the puree into the bowl. Stir in the oregano and vinegar, then add enough water to give this salsa a lightly consistency.
• Taste and season generously with salt - this is a condiment, remember. Taste again and add a little sugar if you think it's necessary to balance any lingering bitterness in the chiles. If you're planning to use your salsa right away, simply pour it into a bowl and it's ready, or refrigerate it covered and use within 5 days.

Steps:

• Rinse chiles and split open, discarding stems, seeds, and ribs.
• Heat a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over moderate heat, then toast chiles, skin sides up, in batches, about 30 seconds (be careful not to burn them, or sauce will be bitter). Transfer chiles as toasted to a heatproof bowl and pour boiling water over them. Cover bowl and soak chiles, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 15 minutes.
• Purée chiles with three fourths of soaking liquid, reserving remainder, in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Pour purée through a coarse sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids, and discard solids. Whisk reserved soaking liquid into chile mixture.
• Cook onion, garlic, cumin, and oregano in oil in a large heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring, 2 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Whisk in chile mixture and simmer, partially covered, whisking occasionally, until reduced to about 2 1/2 cups, about 30 minutes. Season with salt, vinegar, and sugar.