Recipes
Reprinted with permission of Lois Ellen Frank.
Posole
Makes 3 cups; serves 6.
1 1/2 cups dried Indian Hominy
6 quarts water
2 ham hocks (approximately 2 lbs.)
2 dried New Mexico chiles, seeded, stemmed, and torn into 6 pieces
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped (or dried Mexican oregano)
1 teaspoon azafrán (or a few strands saffron)
Soak the hominy overnight in 1 quart of water.
The following day, drain and discard the water. Place the hominy in a large pot filled with the remaining 5 quarts of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease heat and simmer for about 4 hours, until the kernels burst and are puffy and tender. (White corn tends to puff the most.)
Add more water, if necessary, to cover the kernels. Add the ham hocks, red chiles, onion, and garlic, and cook for another 1 1/2 hours, until the meat is tender and falling off the bone. Add the oregano and azafrán and cook for another 15 minutes.
Remove the meat from the bones and discard the bones. Return the meat to the pot. If you are eating this as a stew by itself you may want to add a little more water. Return to the stove and serve hot.
Posole Terrine with Azafrán Sauce
Serves 10 to 12 as an appetizer or 8 as a main course.
Posole Terrine
2 1/2 cups cooked red hominy or posole
2 1/2 cups cooked white hominy or posole
2 1/2 cups cooked blue hominy or posole
6 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon white pepper
4 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 egg whites
Azafrán Sauce
1 shallot, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chicken stock
3 cups heavy cream
4 tablespoons azafrán (or 2 pinches saffron)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
To make the terrine, in a food processor, blend each cooked hominy separately for 2 to 3 minutes, until smooth. Add 2 eggs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to each batch of hominy and process again for 2 minutes. Adding small amounts at a time, slowly pulse in 1 1/2 cups of the cream and then 1 egg white into each batch of hominy. Do this slowly, so as not to curdle the cream while pulsing. Press through a fine sieve to remove the skins and any lumps. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Fill a buttered, 5 by 9-inch glass loaf pan one-third full with one layer of the corn purée. Pour a second corn purée layer (of another color) and top with the remaining puree. Tap the terrine on the table to level the purées and then cover with parchment paper.
Place the baking dish in a roasting pan. Add water to the pan reaching two-thirds of the way up the loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour, until firm throughout. Remove from the oven and allow to cool and set. The terrine will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To make the sauce, sauté the shallot and garlic in olive oil in a saucepan over high heat for 2 minutes. Add the stock, decrease the heat to medium, and reduce the mixture by half, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain, discarding the shallot and garlic.
Return the mixture to the saucepan and add the cream and azafrán. Continue to simmer over medium heat until the mixture has reduced by half again, about 5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper and stir well.
Meanwhile, to reheat the terrine, cut it into slices and place the slices about 1/2 inch apart on a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Place another piece of parchment paper over the top and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes, or until hot.
Spoon some of the sauce onto individual plates and serve with the terrine.