Sopa Marquis Recipes

Steps:

• Pulse the walnuts in a food processor until the consistency of coarse cornmeal (twenty 2 second pulses). In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, tapioca and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, add the butter and sugar and blend until smooth. Stir in the maple syrup and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients in thirds, using the paddle attachment on your mixer, at slow speed. Once the mixture has pulled together, mix at a slightly higher speed to fully incorporate the ingredients. Finally, add the walnuts and mix briefly to combine. Roll the dough into ball, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 1/2 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Measure 1 tablespoon of the dough into your hand, roll into a log with tapered ends and shape into a crescent. Repeat with remaining dough. Arrange the cookies, about 1-inch apart, on the baking sheets. Bake just until the bottom edges start to turn golden, about 14 to 16 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on the cookie sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack until completely cool, about 20 minutes. Put the confectioners' sugar in a shallow bowl, and dredge the cookies, 1 at a time, tapping off excess sugar.
• Daisy's Variation:
• Add 1 teaspoon of good quality cinnamon, and 1 cup of mini morsels (recommended, Nestle's) to the dough. You can also flavor the confectioners' sugar by sifting it with 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, for wonderful results.

Steps:

• Put all of the tapenade ingredients into the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Scrape the tapenade into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. The tapenade may be made up to 3 days in advance.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Pat the halibut fillets dry with paper towels. Season the halibut steaks generously with salt and pepper. Heat the canola oil over medium-high heat in a large oven-proof frying pan (no plastic handles!) until hot but not smoking. Slip the halibut pieces skin side down into the pan and cook until the bottom side has is golden and the edges of the fish start to look opaque, about 3 minutes. Flip the steaks over and place in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes or until the steaks are just opaque in the center.
• While the fish is cooking, warm the red peppers in a skillet over low heat.
• To serve, place a small mound of red peppers on each plate and place the halibut on the mound. Using 2 teaspoons, form a quenelle (egg-shape) of tapenade and set atop the steak.
• The tapenade used to top the fillets keeps for a good long time in the refrigerator. You can use it to top just about any fish or chicken off the grill, stir it into salad dressings or as a sandwich spread.

Steps:

• Trim the thick stems and any wilted or yellow parts of the leaves form the collards. Cut the leaves crosswise into 1/2-inch strips. Wash them in plenty of cold water and drain them well. You will have about 12 cups of shredded leaves.
• Heat the oil in a large deep pan over medium-high heat. Add the red pepper flakes and stir until fragrant. Add the greens and cook, tossing and stirring, until they are coated with oil and pepper and wilted but maintain their vibrant color, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl, season with salt and serve.

Steps:

• Pour the clam juice into a small saucepan and heat to simmering. Keep hot over very low heat.
• Heat the achiote oil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic, stirring to prevent sticking, and cook until lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in the ham and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the orzo and stir until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.
• Pour enough hot clam juice into the skillet to cover the orzo by about 1/2-inch. Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat to medium-low. Continue cooking, adding small amounts of the hot clam juice to keep the orzo covered as necessary, until the pasta is tender but still firm, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. The pasta should have a creamy consistency, but there should be little, if any, liquid left by the end of cooking. If a bit soupy, let stand for a minute or so. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the chopped parsley.
• Heat the oil and annatto seeds in a small skillet over medium heat just until the seeds give off a lively, steady sizzle. Don't overheat the mixture or the seeds will turn black and the oil will turn a nasty green. Once they're sizzling, remove the pan from the heat and let stand until the sizzling stops. Strain and reserve in a jar with a tight-fitting lid at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Steps:

• To make the seviche: Toss the shrimp with the lemon, lime and orange juices in a large non-reactive bowl. Refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours or until the shrimp have turned opaque.
• While the shrimp is "cooking," make the Xni Pec: Toss the tomato, cilantro, olive oil, onion, chile, and lime juice in a bowl to mix. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• When the shrimp are ready, drain them and discard the marinade. Toss with the Xni Pec. Divide among martini glasses or other serving dishes and garnish each with a corn tortilla chip. Pass remaining chips separately.

Steps:

• Whisk masa harina and salt together; stir enough water into mixture until dough is smooth and holds together. Form dough into 2-inch balls. Flatten each ball to a 1/2-inch thick circle.
• Heat oil to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) in a deep-fryer or large saucepan.
• Fry dough in the hot oil until sopes are just lightly browned, about 30 seconds per side. Remove sopes with tongs and place on a paper towel-lined plate; cool just until sopes can be handled. Pinch the edges of each sope together forming little 'boats'. Return to hot oil and fry until golden and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes.