Rick Bayless: the recipes

Rick Bayless describes himself as a member of the fourth generation of an Oklahoma family of restaurateurs and grocers. He grew up in his family's barbecue restaurant in Oklahoma City.

He studied Spanish and Latin American Studies in college and thought he wanted to become a professor of anthropology and linguistics. He and his wife moved to Mexico in the 1980s and soon became fascinated with the food as a reflection of the culture.

They wrote “Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico,” published in 1987, and it soon became a classic in this country. A series of cookbooks followed, including the 2010 “Fiesta at Rick's: Fabulous Food, Luscious Libations, Great Times With Friends.”

Over the years, Bayless has won several James Beard awards, including National Chef of the Year and Humanitarian of the Year, and he won the championship on Bravo's first season of “Top Chef Masters.”
Here he shares recipes that are similar to the ones he plans to demonstrate in Omaha on Thursday at the Food Bank for the Heartland Celebrity Chef Dinner and Auction.

The ceviche is an appetizer that Bayless describes as having the lilt of fresh fish and infused with the straight-ahead flavors of Mexican street food: lime, chiles, onion, cilantro. His favorite way to eat it is piled on toasted corn tortilla chips or tostadas.
Bayless' take on guacamole is inspired by a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich, with a creamy avocado taking the place of a good smear of mayonnaise.

“It's a perfect Mexican-American fusion of smoky, bright, creamy, fresh and satisfying,” he says.

Frontera Grill's Now-Classic Ceviche - Ceviche Fronterizo
1 pound “sashimi-quality” skinless meaty ocean fish fillet (halibut, snapper and bass are great choices), cut into half-inch cubes
1½ cups, approximately, fresh lime juice
1 small white onion, chopped into ¼-inch pieces
Hot green chili peppers to taste (2 or 3 serranos or 1 large jalapeño), stemmed and roughly chopped
¼ cup pitted green olives, preferably Manzanillo
1 large (about 10-ounce) ripe round tomato, cored, seeded (if you wish) and cut into ¼-inch pieces or ¼ cup (lightly packed, about 1 ounce) soft sun-dried tomatoes, chopped into 1/8-inch pieces
¼ small jícama, peeled and chopped into ¼-inch pieces (optional, but suggested if using sun-dried tomatoes)
¼ cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro (thick bottom stems cut off)
2 tablespoons olive oil, preferably extra-virgin
Salt
1 teaspoon sugar
16 ounces, approximately, sturdy tortilla chips or 3- to 4-inch tostadas (preferably from a local tortillería), for serving

“Cook” the fish in the lime juice. In a large non-reactive bowl (stainless steel or glass is best), combine the fish, lime juice and onion. The fish cubes should float freely in the juice; if they don't, add a little more juice. Cover and refrigerate until the fish is as “done” as you like: 30 minutes to an hour for medium-rare, three to four hours for “cooked” all the way through.
If you're planning to serve your ceviche on chips or tostadas, tip off all the lime juice; to serve in dishes or glasses, tip off about half the juice. (Sad to say that the juice is fishy tasting at this point and can't easily be used for another preparation or another round of ceviche. In Peru, however, they season it, pour it into shot glasses and serve it as sangre de tigre — tiger's blood).
Flavor the ceviche. In a mini food processor, process the green chile and olives until finely chopped (or finely chopped by hand). Add to the fish along with the tomato, optional jícama, cilantro and olive oil. Stir well, then season with salt (usually about a scant teaspoon) and sugar. Refrigerate until ready to serve — preferably no longer than an hour or two.
Serve the “dry” version with the chips or tostadas for your guests to use a little edible plates; serve the “wet” version in small dishes or glasses.

Makes about 4 cups, enough for six to eight as a starter.
Notes on working ahead: The fish can be marinated in lime and completely drained (even if you're going to add back some of the juice) early in the day you're going to serve; cover tightly and refrigerate. All the vegetables and the cilantro can be prepped, mixed, covered and refrigerated early in the day, too. Mix and season the ceviche within two hours of serving; keep it refrigerated until the last moment.
Bacon-and-
Tomato
Guacamole
5 strips medium-thick bacon (full-flavored smoky bacon is great here)
3 medium-large (about 1¼ pounds) ripe avocados
½ medium white onion, chopped into ¼-inch pieces
2 or 3 canned chipotle chiles en adobo to taste, removed from the canning sauce, stemmed, slit open, seeds scraped out and finely chopped
1 medium-large round, ripe tomato, cored and chopped into ¼-inch pieces
¼ cup (loosely packed) coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (thick bottom stems cut off), plus a little extra for garnish
Salt
1 or 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

In a large (10-inch) skillet, cook the slices of bacon in a single layer over medium heat, turning them occasionally, until crispy and browned, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels, then coarsely crumble.
Cut around each avocado, from stem to blossom end and back again, then twist the two halves apart. Scoop out the pit and discard. Scoop the flesh from the skin into a large bowl. Using an old-fashioned potato masher or a large fork or spoon, mash the avocados into a coarse puree.
Scoop the onion into a small strainer and rinse under cold water. Shake off the excess water and transfer to the bowl, along with the chipotle chiles, tomatoes, cilantro (save out a little for garnish if you wish) and about two-thirds of the bacon. Gently stir to combine all of the ingredients.
Taste and season with salt, usually about one-half teaspoon, and enough lime juice to add a little sparkle.
Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole and refrigerate until you're ready to serve. Scoop the guacamole into a serving dish, sprinkle with the remaining bacon (and cilantro if you have it), and you're ready to serve.
Makes about three cups, serving eight to 10 as a nibble.

Notes: If the tomato is very ripe and juicy, cut it in half crosswise (across its “equator”) and gently squeeze out the jelly-like seeds from each half. That will keep the guacamole from becoming runny. To ensure crisp bacon texture, stir it in until just before serving.


Classic Ensenada Fish Tacos
2 garlic cloves, peeled
Salt
½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
½ teaspoon fresh black pepper
1 tablespoon yellow mustard (like French's)
1 teaspoon concentrated chicken base or chicken-flavor powdered bouillon
1 cup beer, sparkling water or water
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup all purpose flour
Vegetable oil to a depth of 1½ inches for frying
1 pound boneless, skinless fish fillets (such as halibut, sea bass, grouper and the like)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream or heavy (whipping) cream
¼ cup milk
12 warm corn tortillas
1 cup or more of thinly sliced Napa cabbage or other cabbage
About 1 cup salsa (Toasted Arbol Chile Salsa, roasted green chile salsa, roasted tomatillo salsa or even one of the Mexican hot sauces like Tamazula, Valentina)
2 or 3 limes, cut in wedges
Prepare the batter. Finely chop the garlic, sprinkle generously with salt, then mash back and forth with the side of your knife across your cutting board until crushed to a puree. Scrape into a medium bowl and add the oregano, black pepper, mustard, base or bouillon, beer or water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the flour and baking powder to the wet ingredients and whisk just until combined.
Fry the fish. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet to 370 degrees. While the oil is heating, cut the fish into pieces about 3 inches long by 1/2 inch square. Use a pair of tongs to pick up a piece of fish, dip it completely into the batter, and lay it into the oil. Continue with a few more pieces of fish, filling the hot oil with an uncrowded layer. Fry, turning the pieces regularly, until deep golden and crisp, about four minutes. Drain on paper towel and keep warm in a low oven on a wire rack set over a sheet pan while you fry the rest of the fish.
Serve. Mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream and milk. Set out with the cabbage, salsa, warm corn tortillas, limes and the crispy fish for everyone to make tacos. Makes 12 tacos or four servings.

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