Recently, I tried to come up with my own recipe for oyster oaxacafeller ( I wanted it to still have that original feeling). While reading through some available recipes, I didn’t really like the combination of bivalves with wilted baby spinach, cream, and cheese. However, the combination of dark green veggies and dairy made me think of a dish that did: Mexican rajas con crema.
Rajas, which are strips of roasted poblano chiles cooked with onions, crema, and melty cheese, are the ideal vegetarian taco filling.
Making the dish
Broil and Foil: I start my ode to rajas by roasting some entire onions and a couple of poblano peppers. I decided to roast the vegetables under the broiler rather than tending to and rotating them over an open flame.
Cut the poblanos in half lengthwise, remove the stems, and then remove the seeds. The peppers are then placed with their skins facing up on a baking pan lined with Foil and lightly coated with vegetable cooking oil. I put the sheet tray in the oven until the vegetables are properly browned after lightly brushing the scallions and the skins of the poblanos with vegetable oil.
After they are finished, I place the scallions on a cutting board, arrange the poblano pieces in the middle of the Foil, and then gather the Foil to create a pouch to contain the peppers. As a result, the poblanos get a chance to steam in the Foil for a short period of time, separating the flesh from the skins and making it simpler to peel off and discard.
The peppers and scallions are then chopped.
Smother and Sweat: The subsequent steps adhere to the same fundamental process as the more traditional Rockefeller topping: Before adding the chopped poblanos and scallions, saute the shallots, garlic, and butter until the moisture from the veggies has gone. Then, in place of the absinthe, I add a tablespoon of smoky mezcal. Please feel free to omit the alcohol if you wish. Add a pinch of ground coriander, a half cup of crema (crème fraîche or sour cream can work), and some lime zest to finish.
Purée and Pipe: The combination is pulsed in a food processor before being combined with cilantro that has been roughly chopped and panko breadcrumbs to create a paste. Grab your clean oysters, shuck them, and then pipe the topping over them just like you would with oysters Rockefeller. In the same manner, broil them and then serve them with lime wedges and mezcal to sip.
Ingredients
● Vegetable cooking spray
● two medium poblano peppers, stemmed, halved lengthwise and seeded
● four large scallions
● two tablespoons of unsalted butter
● two large shallots, thinly sliced
● two medium-sized garlic cloves, thinly sliced
● Salt
● 1/2 cup Mexican crema or sour cream or crème
● Lime zest
● 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
● one tablespoon (15ml) mezcal (optional)
● 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
● 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
● Rock (ice cream) salt
● 24 fresh oysters, well scrubbed
● Cayenne pepper
● Lime wedges for serving
Directions
1. Set the broiler to high and position the oven rack 6 inches below the broiler element. Aluminum foil should be used to line rimmed baking sheets. Vegetable cooking spray should be used sparingly. Place the poblano peppers and scallions on the baking sheet after lightly brushing the skins with vegetable oil. The peppers should be placed skin-side up. Vegetables should be broiled for 5 to 8 minutes, checking them often, until they are tender and just beginning to burn.
2. Scallions should be set aside on a chopping board. Poblanos should be piled in the center of the foil sheet. The Foil should then be gathered around the peppers to create a pouch that is sealed. Steam the peppers in the Foil until the skins are easily separated from the flesh. Peel and discard skins with a paring knife. Shallots and poblanos should be diced into 1/2-inch pieces.
3. Melt butter in a medium (3-quart) saucepan over medium-low heat until foaming. Add the shallots, garlic, and salt to taste. Cook, occasionally stirring, for 6 to 8 minutes or until softened. Add the poblanos and scallions and simmer for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until the veggies have released all of their juice and the liquid has evaporated. Add the crema, lime zest, and coriander powder. Cook the mixture for another minute or so or until it is thoroughly blended and just beginning to thicken. Mezcal should be added after the heat has been turned off (if used). Fill the bowl of the food processor with the mixture.
4. Vegetables should be processed for around 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the food processor bowl as necessary. Once the cilantro has been added, process the mixture until the cilantro is well broken down and mixed in. Panko bread crumbs should be added and pulsed until thoroughly combined. Oysters are brackish, so season with salt, erring on the side of less salt. The mixture should be transferred to a small mixing bowl or disposable pastry bag and placed aside. If using a mixing bowl, wrap it in plastic and press it firmly against the paste’s surface to stop the skin from forming and the herbs from oxidizing. If not used right away, the mixture can be kept in the fridge for up to a day; let it soften at room temperature before using.
5. Set the broiler to high and position the oven rack 6 inches below the broiler element. Sprinkle a uniform 1/2-inch layer of rock salt down the edge of a baking sheet. Place oysters on the baking sheet after shucking. Once the topping has been piped or spooned over the oysters, smooth it over each oyster completely with an offset spatula or butter knife.
6. Oysters should be broiled for 4 to 6 minutes, monitoring periodically as the topping starts to brown. Use cayenne to season oysters lightly. Serve right away, offering plenty of mezcal and lime wedges to the table.