This recipe and others can be found in the following article:

Mascarene Chile Cuisine

 

By Dave DeWitt

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup plus one tablespoon cornstarch

• 2 egg whites

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1 tablespoon dry sherry (or more if needed)

• 1 pound prawns or large shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 1 ½ cups vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• Pinch of white pepper

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 2 green onions, finely chopped

• 1 teaspoon grated ginger

• 4 jalapeños (red preferred), seeds and stems removed, minced

• 1 tablespoon chicken stock

Instructions

In a bowl, combine the 3/4 cup cornstarch, egg whites, 1 teaspoon salt, and the dry sherry and mix well to make a batter. Add the prawns to the batter and coat well.

Heat the vegetable oil in a wok until hot. Add the coated prawns and stir fry for 2 minutes. Do not overcook. Remove the prawns and drain them on paper towels.

Remove all but about 1 tablespoon of oil from the wok. Add the sesame oil. Reheat the wok and stir-fry the onion slices for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste, white pepper, remaining salt, and sugar. Add the reserved prawns, green onions, ginger, and jalapeños and stir fry for 1 minute.

In a small bowl, combine the 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with the chicken stock and add to the wok to thicken the sauce. Serve immediately.

These hot and rich candies are well worth the extra effort it takes to make them. Because the filling needs to be refrigerated overnight, they do require advance preparation. The rum can be omitted if you desire, just plump the raisins with water.

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1 3/4 pounds white baking chocolate

• 1/4 cup raisins

• 2 tablespoons rum

• 2 to 3 teaspoons ground red New Mexican chile

• Ground cinnamon

Instructions

Chop or break 1 1/4 pounds of the chocolate into small pieces and place in a heat resistant bowl.

To make the filling, pour the cream in a heavy saucepan, and bring to a rolling boil over a medium high heat. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until all the chocolate has melted. Cover the mixture and place in the refrigerator overnight to set. The filling should be firm like frosting.

Place the raisins in a bowl, pour the rum over them, and toss lightly to coat. Soak the raisins for 30 minutes to plump. Drain off any liquid that accumulates.

Remove the filling from the refrigerator and fold in the raisins and chile powder. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and drop tablespoons of the filling onto the pan. Cool the filling in the refrigerator until firm.

Place the remaining chocolate in the top of a double boiler or small saucepan over simmering water. Stir the chocolate continuously until melted. Dip the chilled filling in the chocolate to cover and place back on the cookie sheet. Place the pan back in the refrigerator to firm again.

Sprinkle the truffles with the cinnamon before serving.

These spicy croutons are not only a tasty addition to this soup, they are great on salads too. For a hotter crouton add some ground chile piquin.

Ingredients

• 3 slices of white bread, crusts trimmed, cut in 1-inch cubes

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon margarine

• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• 1 tablespoon ground red New Mexico chile

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet and let them dry out at room temperature for a couple of hours.

In a skillet, heat the olive oil and margarine. Add the garlic and saute until the garlic just starts to brown, being careful not to let them burn. Remove the garlic and discard. Add the chile and the cumin and toss the crumbs in the mixture until well coated.

Spread the bread cubes on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow the cubes to cool at room temperature.