Perhaps a Perfect Pepper

     In northern New Mexico between Santa Fe and Taos is the town of Chimayo.  It's not particularly distinctive but it is known for a very famous and popular variety of chile pepper. I'm not sure if the pepper got the name from the town or the other way around.  Legend has it that Chimayo peppers were first brought there from Mexico by a culinary entrepreneur, Don Juan de Onate in 1598.  

     They are irregular in shape and length and can also vary in heat.  They also are versatile in their use.  Deborah Madison of Sauveur Magazine describes them this way:

     "Its perfume is remarkable-a particular mix of sweetness, richness & spiciness-simultaneously grounding and exhilerating.  It is piquant without being overbearingly hot, with a bite that offsets the complexity of its distinctive chile flavor."

     Wow!  There are wines that are not so descriptively chronicled.  It is perhaps the perfect pepper.

     They can be eaten green or allowed to ripen on the vine to a bright, deep red and then dried and strung on long chains called ristras.  Tradition has it that the length of the ristra is as long as the height of the person stringing it.  They can also be charred to remove the thin skin and then ground into a powder called molido.  Chimayo chiles continue to be a mainstay of southwest culture.  They're not just a spice, they are a way of life.

     Here's just one way to use them:

Red Chile Sauce

1 cup dried, seeded chimayo red chiles                    1 tsp parsley

1 tsp chopped garlic                                                     1 cup chicken stock

1 onion, diced                                                                zest of 1 lemon

1 diced bell pepper                                                       salt & pepper

1 tomato, chopped                                                        1/2 cup olive oil

pinch oregano                                                               1/4 cup white wine

pinch thyme                                                                

In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil.  Add red chile and saute for 1-3 minutes on medium heat.  Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add remaining vegetables and spices and reduce heat to simmer.  Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.

Add remaining liquids and cook on medium heat for 12-15 minutes.  Add salt & pepper. Allow to cool.

Blend to smooth consistency.  Refigerate.

Recipe courtesy of  il piatto restaurant, Sante Fe, NM