Adobo from Diana Henry

Menge: 150 ml, about 200 grams

Diana Henry’s version of the Mexican paste Adobo, made from dried chilies, herbs and vinegar.

Ingredients:

• 11 grams chipotle chillies, dried, about 2 large and one small
• 2 ancho chillies, dried, 30 grams
• ½ teasp. cumin seeds
• ½ teasp. coriander seeds
• ¼ teasp. allspice
• 1,5 cm piece of cinnamon stick, I used Ceylon
• ½ teasp. oregano, dried
• 2 large and 1 small garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 shallot, roughly chopped
• ½+¼ teasp. salt, or to taste
• 1 teasp. soft dark brown sugar, or to taste (optional)
• 1 tablesp. red wine vinegar
• 2,5 tablesp. sherry vinegar

Instructions:

1. Roast the chillies in a dry frying pan; you don’t want to char them, just make them more pliable (the heat softens them). Discard the stems, and the seeds from all the chipotles and half the anchos.
2. Put both types of chillies in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then pull off the heat and leave to soak for 30 minutes. Strain the chillies, reserving the soaking liquid.
3. Toast the whole spices in a dry frying pan about 40 seconds until they are fragrant. Now put all the ingredients into a food processor and whizz to a purée, adding enough of the chilli soaking liquid to get it to the consistency of a paste. Taste for seasoning and adjust if you think it needs it.
4. Put into a sterilized jar, seal with a vinegar-proof lid and keep in the refrigerator. It will be fine there for four months.

total time: 45 minutes
preparation time: 5 minutes
soaking time: 30 minutes