Ophelia’s Salsa de Habanero

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The avocado is the “secret ingredient” that gives this salsa its creamy texture. We know what makes it hot! It’s great in soups and beans but we put it in everything.

Ingredients

  • 4 habanero chiles (seeded if you don’t want all the heat)

  • 1 small onion, sliced

  • 2 or 3 cloves garlic

  • 4 teaspoons chopped cilantro

  • ½ ripe avocado, sliced

  • ¼ teaspoons salt

  • 1 cup water

Instructions

In a food processor, purée the first six ingredients until smooth. Slowly add the water until the salsa is liquefied. Chill until ready to serve.

Samuel’s Cerveza Habanero

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Believe it or not, this spicy beverage is incredibly refreshing in the Caribbean heat. Samuel swears it will cure the “tequila flu.”

Ingredients

  • 1 chilled beer glass

  • Margarita salt

  • Ice

  • ½ teaspoon chopped habanero chile

  • Juice of half a lime (fresh is important)

  • Corona or Sol beer

Instructions

Rim the chilled glass with the salt. Fill with ice and add the habanero and lime. Carefully pour in the beer. Stir and enjoy!

Belizean Rubbed and Grilled Fish Burger

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This particular “burger” is a fired-up re-creation of a fish sandwich Nancy devoured in the tiny town of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, Belize, in 1985. The restaurant was called Elvies Burger Isle, and the diners sat outside under a tamarind tree on picnic benches. If ever there was a simple to prepare, quick and easy fish recipe with significant heat, this is it. Serve with french fries, crisp cole slaw, and to toast Elvie, a frosty tamarind cooler.

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon ground habanero chile

  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt

  • 1 teaspoon ground thyme

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 4 small white fish fillets, such as snapper, trigger fish, or grouper

  • 4 rolls

  • Your favorite salsa or hot sauce

Instructions

In a bowl, combine the chile, salt, garlic, thyme, allspice and nutmeg. Brush the fillets with the oil and dust with the spice mixture. Allow to sit at room temperature while you prepare the grill.

Cut the rolls in half length-wise and brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Grill the fish in a grill basket over medium heat until done, about 5 minutes per side, or until the fillets flake.

Grill the rolls to slightly warm. Place the fish on rolls and top with a sauce of choice, even if it’s store-bought.

 

Chile-Infused Red Snapper, Veracruz-Style

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This is one of the most delicious Mexican coastal fish recipes. It is served in Veracruz, the area of Mexico most influenced by Spanish cooking, but is popular all over the country. Often the snapper is dusted with flour and pan fried, then covered with a sauce, but we prefer ours beach-style. We grill it over wood or natural charcoal (gas is acceptable, too) and then serve it with the sauce on the side. Charring the tomatoes on the grill adds a smoky dimension to the sauce. This elegant and colorful fish is served with white rice and additional pickled jalapeños.

Ingredients

The Snapper

  • 1 3 to 4-pound whole dressed red snapper

  • 1 lime, cut in half

  • 1/4 cup ground chile de arbol, or substitute New Mexican ground red chile

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • Olive oil

  • Chopped parsley for garnish

Veracruz Sauce

  • 6 small tomatoes

  • 1 small onion

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 4 canned picked jalapeño chiles (jalapeños en escabeche), seeds removed, cut in thin strips

  • 1 tablespoon juice from the pickled jalapeños

  • ½ cup sliced pimiento-stuffed olives

  • 1 tablespoon capers

  • ½ teaspoon sugar

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

With a knife, lightly score the fish on both sides. Sprinkle lime juice over the whole fish, inside and out. In a small bowl, combine the chile and salt and mix well. Sprinkle the fish with the mixture inside and out.

To make the sauce, roast the tomatoes and onions on the grill until charred evenly. Remove and chop. In a small pan, saute the garlic in oil until lightly browned. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, add the remaining ingredients and simmer until thickened. Season with salt and pepper, and remove the bay leaves.

Place the fish on the grill indirectly over a low fire, baste with olive oil, and cook about 1 hour per side, turning twice and basting with the oil. The fish should flake easily, and the internal temperature of the fish at its thickest part should be 385°F for medium.

Place the fish on a serving platter and pour the most of the sauce over it. At the table, carve the fish and serve it with some sauce spooned over each portion. Garnish with the parsley. Serve with heated corn tortillas, and the additional sauce on the table.

 

Grilled Salmon Steaks with Green Chile Lime Sauce

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Here is a simple salmon recipe that’s quick to prepare but tastes great. You can literally whip it up while you are starting the grill. Feel free to flavor this with a little light smoke–say apple or other fruitwoods. Serve with a creamy rissoto, arugula, and tomato salad and a chilled white wine.

Ingredients

For the Salmon:

  • 4 salmon steaks

  • Olive oil

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Green Chile Lime Sauce:

  • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

  • 3 roasted and peeled New Mexico green chiles, stems and seeds removed

  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped

  • Juice of 1 lime

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 1 teaspoon lime zest

Instructions

Brush the steaks with the oil and season with the salt and pepper. Place all the ingredients for the sauce in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.

Grill the steaks over a medium fire for about 8 minutes, turning several times, or until the fish flakes on the outside.

To serve, pour some of the sauce on individual plates, place the steaks on top of the sauce, and top with additional sauce.