Traditional Latin Fare, Modern Spin

Chef Jose Garces Serves Up Samples Of His Special Approach, On The Early Show

(CBS)  Though he's only 36, Jose Garces has already established himself a leader in creating modern interpretations of Latin cuisine.

He solidified that reputation with the tremendous success of his first restaurant, Amada, an authentic tapas bar in Philadelphia, which opened to rave reviews three years ago. Garces now has four restaurants, and he released his first cookbook, "Latin Evolution," last week.

On The Early Show Monday, Garces prepared dishes that typify his unique take, offering recipes from his new book.

Called the "Latin Emeril" by one food critic for his wide smile and educational approach to food, Garces was recently nominated for the prestigious James Beard Foundation "Best Chef Mid-Atlantic" award.

He's long been an ambassador of contemporary Latin cuisine, appearing regularly in the New York Times, Travel & Leisure, Esquire, Cooking Light, Restaurant Hospitality, Conde Nast Traveler, National Geographic Traveler, Philadelphia magazine and the Travel Channel's Epicurious TV.

Garces' cookbook is a very personal collection of recipes.

He writes, "This is a story about me and others like me, first-generation Americans who spoke Spanish at home and English at school, people who felt like outsiders in their neighborhoods but relished the camaraderie and comfort of the family table. As an Ecuadorian kid growing up in an Irish Catholic neighborhood in Chicago, I would never have imagined that the foods I loved would become so well known and regarded. Little did I know that my earliest days spent at the stove with my grandmother, preparing the dishes that have been a part of my family for generations, would one day inform the menu items at my restaurants.

"... As a chef, my constant challenge is to see the possibilities that new ingredients and techniques offer, while honoring what has come before. My mantra is simple: authentic and innovative are not contradictory."

Among the dishes he prepared or discussed on The Early Show Monday:

RECIPES

Dungeness Crab Guacamole with Belgian Endive and Garlic Chips

Serves 4

3 cloves roasted garlic
2 Hass avocados
1⁄2 pound Dungeness crabmeat, picked
1⁄4 cup brunoised red onion
1 roasted jalapeño chile, diced small
1 plum tomato, seeded and brunoised
2 tablespoons cilantro chiffonade
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 heads Belgian endive, leaves removed
1/4 cup garlic chips
1/4 cup micro cilantro
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon oil

In a molcajete or bowl, mash roasted garlic. Add avocado and mash into roasted garlic. Mix in crabmeat, red onions, jalapeño chiles, tomato, cilantro, and lime juice, and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Trim off edges of endive leaves and place 3 leaves on each plate. Form guacamole into quenelles. Place each quenelle on top of an endive leaf. Stick 3 garlic chips into each quenelle.

Toss cilantro with olive oil and salt, and place on top of guacamole. Drizzle with lemon oil.

Arepas with Oxtail Ropa Vieja & Avocado Espuma

Serves 4

1/4 cup vegetable oil, for frying
4 arepas
Kosher salt, to taste
2 ounces uncooked smoked bacon
3/4 pound oxtail ropa vieja with 1/4 cup jus
4 thin slices green heirloom tomato
4 thin slices red heirloom tomato
1/2 cup avocado espuma
1/2 cup micro arugula
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Putting it all together: Preheat oven to 350°F. To a sauté pan add vegetable oil to just cover the bottom of the pan. Heat oil over medium heat until it starts to sizzle. Add the arepas and fry until golden brown, about 1 minute on each side. Remove arepas, drain, and season with salt. Split each arepa by cutting in half horizontally.

Cut each slice of bacon on the bias into 2 triangles. Arrange on a baking sheet and cook in oven until crisp.

In a saucepan over medium heat, heat oxtail ropa vieja with jus.

Place 2 arepa halves on each of 4 plates. Top each with oxtail mixture. Place a slice of green tomato and a slice of red tomato over the oxtail. Top with a bacon triangle, avocado espuma, and micro arugula tossed in olive oil.

Arepas:

Yields 4 arepas

1 cup instant arepas flour (see Sources and Substitutions)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups hot water
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup queso fresco

To make arepas: In a bowl combine flour and salt. Add water and butter to flour mixture while stirring. Mix thoroughly. Add queso fresco and mix to combine. Take the dough out of the bowl and knead until pliable. Using a 3-inch ring mold, form four 1/2-inch-thick disks.

Oxtail Ropa Vieja:

Yields 1 1/4 pound

3 pounds oxtail
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large Spanish onion, 1/2 chopped, 1/2 julienned
1/2 large carrot, chopped
9 cloves garlic, 6 whole, 3 julienned
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup tomato paste
3 cups red wine
4 cups veal stock
3 guindilla chiles or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
10 sprigs thyme
1 yellow bell pepper, julienned

To make oxtail ropa vieja: Preheat oven to 325°F. In a braising pan over medium-high heat, sear oxtails on all sides in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Remove oxtails and place in a deep pot. Add chopped onion, carrots, and whole garlic cloves to the braising pan and season with salt. Over high heat sauté the vegetables until browned. Add 1/4 cup tomato paste and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add red wine and veal stock to deglaze, scraping bottom of pan to loosen caramelized bits. Bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat and pour mixture over oxtails. Add guindilla chiles (or red pepper flakes), peppercorns, and thyme. Cover tightly with foil and cook for 3 hours. Remove oxtails from the liquid and shred the meat. Strain jus and reserve.

In a large braising pan over low heat, sweat julienned onions and yellow bell peppers in vegetable oil until soft. Add julienned garlic and 1/3 cup tomato paste, and continue to sweat for an additional 5 minutes. Add reserved oxtail jus and bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer. Reduce mixture until the sauce has thickened to nappé. Add shredded oxtail and cook for an additional 10 minutes over low heat. Pour mixture out onto a sheet tray and refrigerate to cool. Ropa vieja can be frozen for up to 1 week.

Avocado Espuma:

Yields 1 cup

1/2 avocado, peeled and chopped
1/2 jalapeño chile, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon cilantro leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

To make avocado espuma: In a blender, combine avocado, jalapeño, cilantro, and lemon juice, and puree. With blender running, add cream and milk and process until smooth. Season with sugar and salt. Use immediately.

FOR MANY MORE RECIPES, GO TO PAGE 2.