Maya Lobster and Shrimp

Maya in San Francisco is the second restaurant of its kind launched by Richard Sandoval, “the father of Modern Mexican cuisine”. “The restaurant re-interprets Mexican cuisine in a contemporary, yet authentic way. Coupling indigenous Mexican ingredients with European technique and sensibility, Sandoval succeeds in elevating timeless recipes to new heights. The results have changed our perception of Mexican cuisine in this country.”

This is my interpretation of this wonderful dish. Because there are quite a few ingredients one would do well to read the recipe it its entirety ahead of time.

This is a description of the dish.

Grilled lobster and shrimp marinated in achiote paste sitting on top of roasted corn puree

adorned with a salad of watercress, small bits of avocado, and a tomatoes in a chile de arbol2

(arbor peppers) vinaigrette3 with a chile habanero-chive rouille (thick roasted red pepper sauce made from garlic, oil, bread crumbs and in this case, habanero peppers and chives.)

The roasted corn puree gives this a slight sweet flavor and is left slightly chunky to give both some smoothness and some underlying texture. The corn is done ahead of time and will be reheated when the dish comes together. The shellfish is marinated in an Achiote - Yucatan- style red sauce prepared several hours ahead. The Rouille and the Vinaigrette are prepared ahead of time. The water cress is washed, and the tomato is peeled, seeded, chopped but the avocado must be combined in the salad just before assembly as it will otherwise discolor.

Rouille

1 or more seeded and de-ribbed fresh habanero peppers
2 cloves garlic
1⁄4 cup finely chopped chives

1/2 cup olive

Handful of bread

1⁄2 tablespoon rock salt

Trim, de-seed and remove all traces of white ribs and finely chop habanero pepper(s). (If you have latex gloves you may want to wear them other wise remember to wash your hand very well with lots of soap after handling habanero peppers. In a mortar, crush the pepper(s), garlic, rock salt and olive oil together to obtain a thick paste. You can make this in a small food processor. Avoid getting your eyes near any vapors. Crumble the bread, moisten it with hot water and press it into a tight lump, squeezing out the water. Add the bread lump to the paste and beat, adding olive oil, until you've made a smooth sauce.. If the sauce separates, add another lump of bread and beat vigorously. Now added finely chopped chives. Place rouille in a squeeze bottle for easy application.

Roasted Corn Puree:

Shuck 2 ears of fresh yellow corn, wash well and dry with paper towels. Place directly in a very hot barbecue or hot grill. Turn ears constantly to prevent ears from burning. If you have a second tier shelf in the grill, place ears on it and close the lid. Inspect constantly. A few black specks are ok, but don’t burn these. Check with you finger nail, kernels are soft when fully cooked but better these are under done than burnt. Allow ear to cool. Cut kernels loose by placing the ears in a large bowl allowing room for your hands. Use a sharp knife but stay shallow and cut away the kernels from the ears. Now take a spoon and scrape the ears of its milk. Transfer kernels to a small food processor bowl, add a little salt and pepper, and 1 tablespoon sweet butter and pulse until about 90 percent smooth but leave some texture. Turn out the mixture into a microwave safe bowl for later reheating.

Vinaigrette

1 tablespoon olive

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth (remove fat) 1⁄2 teaspoon or less of ground arbol (aka arbor) peppers pepper to taste

salt to taste

Salad

One large seeded and peeled fresh firm hot house or garden raised tomato, chopped

1⁄2 cup baby watercress, well washed

 Main Course

1⁄2 finely chopped ripe avocado. (firm but not unripe)

Achiote - Yucatan-style Red Sauce

Achiote is made with ground annatto seeds, spices and tomatoes. Delicious achiote, also known as “Recado Rojo” and is readily available online or in a Mexican grocer.

1 ounce of Achiote paste

1/4 cup of vinegar

1/4 cup lime juice

Cut lobster pieces same size as the shrimp so every thing cooks at the same rate. Marinate lobster pieces and shrimp in this mixture in a bowl. Refrigerate for several hours. Before grilling, skewer pieces so they are easy to grill.

An hour before serving, take salad ingredients from the refrigerator, along with

the vinaigrette, the marinated shell fish. Have the avocado handy. Turn on the grill.

Grilled lobster and shrimp on each side for 3~4 minutes until done. Heat the corn mixture in microwave until hot. Line individual bowls with a thin coating of hot corn puree. Chop half an avocado and add to tomatoes and water cress. Add vinaigrette – toss well and top the corn mixture with the salad mixture. Squeeze out circle swirls of the rouille and top off with the grilled shellfish. Serve hot.

Note:

1. chile de arbol (“are-bowl”) are a fairly hot pepper usually available dried and remain bright red even after drying. The fresh peppers goes by the same name. The word “Arbol” means “tree-like” in Spanish, which the chile resembles in its woody stems and upright properties. Arbol chiles add a smoky, earthy flavor to any dish. Heat is 6-7 out of 10 on the Scoville heat scale so use in moderation.