Chan touches on her family roots of Yucatán and the typical dish of the province.

Elsa Maria Chan: One hundred percent Mayan woman.

During her childhood, Chan would watch her grandmother cook. It was a time that the whole family got together and would sit down to share a meal. Unfortunately, when her grandmother died that all ended. Chan hopes to continue to rebuild those memories and traditions and is always creating new ideas.

Chan describes her memories making Relleno Negro with her grandmother in Yucatán, Mexico and is hopeful that one day she will open a restaurant with food from her homeland.

COOK WITH ELSA!

Elsa’s Recipes

Pasta de Recado Negro

Ingredientes:

  • ¾  de chile de árbol, desvenado y sin semillas
  • ½ taza de alcohol ingeribles o aguardiente
  • 1 cabeza de ajo, pelada y asada
  • 1 cucharada de pimienta de castilla molida
  • 1 cucharada de pimienta de Tabasco
  • 4 clavos de olor
  • ½ cucharada de comino entero
  • 2 cucharadas de semillas de achiote remojadas en vinagre o naranja agria
  • 20 hojas de epazote
  • 1 cucharada de orégano molido
  • 1 cucharada de sal

Modo de preparación:

Bañar los chiles con el alcohol y prenderles fuego hasta que queden bien negro y bien quemados.

Remojar en agua caliente entre 15 o 20 minutos. Se escurre y luego se muele con todos los ingredientes. También se debe de hacer en un molcajete, en un metate o en una licuadora.

Se le va echando chorritos de agua hasta hacerse una pasta. 

Se queman muy bien 5 tortillas y se muelen junto hasta obtener la pasta.

Recado Negro Spice Paste

Ingredients:

  • ¾  chile de árbol, seeded and deveined
  • ½ cup edible alcohol or moonshine 
  • 1 head garlic, peeled and roasted 
  • 1 tablespoon ground allspice 
  • 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
  • 4 whole cloves
  • ½ tablespoon whole cumin 
  • 2 tablespoons annatto seeds soaked in vinegar or Seville orange  
  • 20 leaves epazote
  • 1 tablespoon ground oregano 
  • 1 tablespoon salt

Procedure:

  1. Soak the chiles in alcohol and light on fire until they are black and burned.
  2. Soak the burned chiles in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well and blend with the remaining ingredients in a mortar and pestle, metate or blender adding water a little at a time to form a paste.  
  3. Burn 5 tortillas over an open flame, add to the paste and blend well to incorporate. 

Photographer: Jessica Magaña Sandoval, Redheartmedia.