Volume 12, Issue 032 - February 13, 2007

Good Day Chef,

The Story Continues:

By the late 1970's, Fonda San Miguel had become a genuine hit, attracting customers from across the state and the nation. In order to create the proper showcase for their food, Tom and Miguel decided to undertake their first major remodeling project. Huge, hand-carved wooden doors from the state of Guanajuato welcomed guests to an expanded interior, replete with a patio bar with bright flowers and lush tropical plants. Punched-tin lantern light fixtures from San Miguel de Allende were hung in the main dining room, and rustic Mexican leather equipales replaced dining room chairs.

It was during this same period that Fonda San Miguel began to develop a reputation for its distinctive Mexican artwork. Tom began collecting pieces by some of Mexico's most renowned artists — Rufino Tamayo, Francisco Toledo, Arnulfo Mendoza, Jose Fors, and many more. Tom extended the importance placed on fine art to the menus, commissioning some of Mexico's finest painters and graphic artists to decorate them.

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Sopa de Elote
Corn Soup

Corn is the very foundation of Mexican culture and cuisine. This wonderful soup is adapted from a recipe presented by Diana Kennedy in her influential first cookbook, Cuisines of Mexico. As the original menu consultant for Fonda San Miguel, she shared many of her well-researched, authentic recipes with Miguel. Corn soup was one of the first breakout dishes to create a following within the restaurant, and it has maintained its popularity. It is even copied now at other Mexican restaurants in Austin. At the height of summer, this soup is marvelous made with corn cut off the cob. The second choice is frozen corn. Never use canned corn.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh corn kernels, cut and scraped from 5 or 6 ears of corn, or about 2 10-ounce packages of frozen corn kernels, thawed
4 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced
6 tablespoons shredded Monterey Jack cheese
6 corn tortillas, cut into thin strips and fried crisp

Preparation:

Combine corn and 1 cup of the milk in a blender. Purée at high speed until smooth; set aside. In a heavy, 3-quart nonreactive stock pot, heat the butter over medium heat until melted and bubbly. Add the corn purée and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the remaining 3 1/2 cups milk and the salt; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring to avoid sticking. In each of 6 warm soup bowls, put 1 tablespoon each of the diced chiles and shredded cheese. Ladle the hot soup into the bowls and garnish with a few tortilla strips.

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Thirty Years of Food and Art

In the mid-eighties, Tom and Miguel introduced the hugely popular Hacienda Sunday Brunch Buffet, a beautiful display of banquet tables topped with fresh fruits, flowers, and a vast collection of imported Mexican pottery. The striking sight was matched only by the mouth-watering selection of Mexican dishes available — cold appetizers, salads, hot side dishes, savory entrees, and sumptuous desserts. The brunch is still regularly voted the best in the city. In 1993, Fonda San Miguel was invited to present at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City. That dinner generated such a positive response that Tom and Miguel were invited to return in 1996. The restaurant has continued to earn national recognition for its pioneering and adventurous spirit.

In 2005, to celebrate the restaurant's thirtieth anniversary, Tom and Miguel published FONDA SAN MIGUEL: Thirty Years of Food and Art. Winner of the 2006 IACP Cookbook Award for Design, this beautiful cookbook brings the spirit of the restaurant, along with their famous recipes, to the home kitchen.

Today, Fonda San Miguel is a prime destination restaurant, a place where culinary connoisseurs, art lovers, visiting celebrities, and guests of the local Mexican consulate all come together. After thirty-one years, Fonda San Miguel continues to celebrate its distinctive cuisine, its colorful history, and the transforming influence it has had on the culinary palate of America.

Enchiladas Suizas de Jaiba
Crabmeat Enchiladas with Sour Cream Sauce

The flavorful crabmeat mixture used as a filling for these distinctive enchiladas comes from the Caribbean coast of Mexico. So that the delicate flavor of the crab isn't overwhelmed by a strong sauce, Miguel serves them with the creamy Sour Cream Sauce, as pictured, or a mixture of Salsa Verde and Sour Cream Sauce. The filling in this recipe can also be used for quesadillas or as a topping for sopes.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons vegetable oil
12 corn tortillas
Crabmeat Filling (see below)
Sour Cream Sauce (see below)

Preparation:

In a small skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers (Make sure the oil is hot enough, or the tortillas will absorb too much oil and be greasy.) Using tongs, dip each tortilla into the hot oil for about 10 to 15 seconds, or until softened. Drain on paper towels. Working quickly, place 3 tablespoons Crabmeat Filling down the center of each tortilla and roll it up. Arrange 2 enchiladas on each serving plate. Top with Sour Cream Sauce and serve immediately.

Crabmeat Filling
Makes 3 cups (fills 12 enchiladas)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pounds lump crabmeat
6 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium white onion, chopped
2 pickled jalapeños, chopped, with 1/4 cup liquid from the can
2 or 3 pickled carrots, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Pick through the crabmeat and remove any bits of shell or cartilage, taking care not to break up the lumps. In a heavy nonreactive skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium heat, add garlic and onion, and sauté until the onion is wilted and transparent. Add the jalapeños and juice, carrots, tomatoes, parsley, and cilantro and cook for about 3 minutes; season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and cook until mixture thickens, about 20 minutes. Add crabmeat and cook just until crabmeat is heated through. Adjust seasonings as needed. Keep warm.

Sour Cream Sauce
Makes 3 3/4 cups

Ingredients:

3 cups sour cream
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground white pepper

Preparation:

Whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.