Achiote Adobo Marinade Recipes

PESCADO EN ACHIOTE (MEXICAN FISH IN ANNATTO SAUCE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine 3/4 cup water, achiote paste, onion, juice of 2 limes, juice of 1 orange, vinegar, garlic, 1 teaspoon oregano, salt, and pepper in a blender; blend until smooth.
• Season both sides of the fish fillets with salt and pepper, then brush the top with melted butter. Arrange fish fillets in a baking dish. Add shrimp on top and cover with achiote sauce. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 30 minutes.
• Place red onion and habanero peppers in a glass bowl. Add 1 cup water, juice of 1/2 orange, and juice of 1 lime; stir well and season with salt, peppercorns, and Mexican oregano.
• Serve fish and shrimp with achiote sauce and top with habanero sauce.

AUTHENTIC CHICKEN ADOBO

Steps:

• Combine vinegar, soy sauce,1 head garlic, bay leaves, garlic powder, black pepper, and 1 1/2 teaspoons annatto powder in a large bowl. Add chicken, stir to coat with marinade, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
• Remove chicken from the marinade and pat dry. Reserve the marinade.
• Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in the hot oil until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Remove skillet from heat.
• Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir 1 head garlic until browned, about 3 minutes. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons annatto powder; simmer for 3 minutes.
• Pour annatto mixture over chicken and add reserved marinade. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until chicken is tender, about 45 minutes. Uncover and cook until sauce has reduced slightly, about 10 minutes.

ACHIOTE MARINADE

Steps:

• Whisk lime juice, garlic, achiote, oregano, cumin, brown sugar, adobo sauce, wine vinegar and oil until well blended.
• Add marinade to a ziplock bag with chicken, pork or beef; seal bag and turn to coat. Marinade for at least 3 hours or overnight for more flavor.
• Season meat with salt and pepper before cooking.

ACHIOTE ADOBO MARINADE

Steps:

• Stem and seed the guajillo chiles. Toast them on a pre-heated comal or skillet, set over medium heat, for about 1 to 2 minutes per side until they are toasted, but not burnt. Place the chiles in a saucepan, add enough water to cover them, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes until the chiles are plumped up and rehydrated.
• In a blender, place the chiles along with 1/2 cup of their cooking liquid and the rest of the ingredients. Puree until smooth. Use as a marinade.

ACHIOTE MARINADE (RECADO)

Steps:

• Crush the salt into the garlic using a mortar and pestle until a paste forms.
• Add the annatto seeds, cumin, oregano, and black pepper and mix well.
• Pour in the vinegar and orange juice and stir well.
• Allow the marinade to sit for 5 minutes before using. You will notice that the marinade will become thicker after it sits for a few minutes.
• If you are not going to use it right away, transfer the marinade to an airtight container and refrigerate.
• INGREDIENTS
• Annato Seed
• This seed, which is also called achiote, gives off a musky and earthy flavor. It comes from the annatto tree and is used for both its flavor and red coloring. It is fine to use annatto powder, but the ground seeds are a much better option. The seeds are rather hard to crush by hand. If you do not have a spice grinder, use your blender to create the powder.
• TECHNIQUES
• Making a Garlic Paste
• When you crush salt into a peeled garlic clove, the garlic will let go of its moisture and turn into a paste. This technique somehow magically mellows out the pungent flavor of raw garlic.
• While you can create the paste using a knife (continue chopping a peeled garlic clove over a small mound of salt until you achieve a paste), a mortar and pestle is the easiest and best way to make the paste.
• ADVANCE PREPARATION
• This marinade can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
• This marinade goes incredibly well with chicken, fish, and pork.

TRADITIONAL ACHIOTE RECADO

Steps:

• In a small saucepan bring water and achiote seeds to a boil. Cook seeds, covered, at a bare simmer 30 minutes and remove from heat. (Steep seeds 2 hours, or until softened.)
• Heat a dry comal or flat iron griddle over moderately low heat until hot and pan-roast garlic and onion, turning them occasionally to ensure even roasting, until browned and soft throughout, 25 to 30 minutes. Discard garlic skins.
• In a small heavy skillet dry-roast oregano over moderate heat, shaking skillet occasionally, until fragrant and beginning to brown, about 2 minutes and transfer to a small bowl. Cool oregano completely and in an electric coffee/spice grinder grind fine.
• Drain seeds and in a blender or food processor blend with garlic, onion, oregano, and remaining ingredients until smooth. (Recado may be made 5 days ahead and chilled and covered.)

RICK BAYLESS' PASTOR MARINADE

Steps:

• In a blender, combine the achiote paste, chilles, canning sauce, oil and water. Blend until smooth. Marinate meat (pork chops, ribs, what have you). for at least an hour. Store unused marinade in refrigerator.

MEXICAN ANNATTO/ACHIOTE PASTE, ADOBO MEXICANO DE ACHIOTE MOLIDO

Steps:

• First lightly toast in a dry frying pan Annatto seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns,and cloves. Do not scorch just lightly heat to bring out the flavors. Pour into a spice mill or coffee grinder and pulverize.
• Next add the sour orange juice or combination orange juice and lime juice and vinegar into a blender add the oregano, salt, garlic, and jalapeno or serano chiles and blend until all the garlic and peppers are liquified. Add the ground spices and blend again until all is smooth.
• Rub this marinade onto chicken, pork, fish or beef. Put into a large plastic freezer bag and let marinade overnight. Next day grill or bake or cook as you like. You can add a little or a lot of heat by adding a one or more jalapenos, or serrano peppers to the mixture when blending. Just remember by taking the seeds out from the peppers you will get the flavor but not so much heat. If you leave the seeds in then you will get much more heat. You can also opt to use only one chile pepper if you do not desire a lot of heat. Enjoy
• I will post an actual picture of annatto /achiote seeds tomorrow.