Miguel Ravago | Scott Roberts | Roger Mollett | Patricia Bauer-Slate

Bertram's chef Miguel Ravago

Adobo Recado for Roasted Chicken
by Miguel Ravago, Bertram's

In one sense, adobo is the flip side of the dry rub used in the pork chops recipe. Chef Miguel Ravago recommends this moist seasoning for chicken and other poultry; the dry rub works better on darker meats like beef and pork.

The ingredient list and preparation steps may seem long, but this recipe makes a hefty helping o' adobo that will keep refrigerated for several weeks. Ravago advises that fresh chiles should have a nice color (not black or bruised) and not look moist. The only out-of-the-ordinary equipment he recommends is a nail brush to scrub down the hands for protection against chile fire.

Expect to find this chef at home on Labor Day, doing some outdoor cooking and counting the days until his cookbook, "Cocina de la Familia," co-written with Marilyn Townsend, hits the stands in October.

Adobo Recado for Roasted Chicken
by Miguel Ravago, Bertram's

Makes 5 cups

1 cup corn oil
6 whole guajillo chiles, seeded and deveined
4 whole ancho chiles, seeded and deveined
1 whole chipotle chile, seeded and deveined
1 cup boiling water
8 whole allspice berries, freshly ground
4 whole cloves, freshly ground
1 tablespoon cumin seeds, freshly ground
1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano, ground
5 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons sugar
2 whole Roma tomatoes, roasted
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Recipe may be made in batches if necessary.

Heat oil in a medium-sized saute pan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Fry the chiles, 1 or 2 at a time, until puffed and brown--about 10 seconds. (Do not let them burn or the adobo will taste bitter.) Shake off excess oil from the chiles and place in a medium bowl, reserving the cooking oil. Add the boiling water to the chiles and let soak until soft, about 20 minutes. Toss occasionally to be sure all the chiles soften evenly.

Put the softened chiles, their soaking water, and all remaining ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. (You can use a food processor, but the texture will not be as smooth.)

Heat 4 tablespoons of reserved chile oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Pour the blended mixture into the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to reduce, sizzle and becomes darkly colored, about 10 minutes. If it boils too vigorously, lower the heat.

Use as a marinade for chicken or quail. Marinate for 1 to 3 hours; longer may make the chicken uncomfortably spicy. Grill or roast the marinated chicken and serve sliced like fajitas.

Substitutions (if desired):
New Mexican chiles may be substituted for guajillo chiles.
Honey may be substituted 1:1 for sugar.
Ground spices may be used in place of fresh.