Recipe: Risa G.-Blackened Tomato & Grilled Leek

Sauce. Hope this is the one you want, I took it out of
Mark Miller's Coyote Pantry.

Blackened Tomato & Grilled Leek Sauce

2 lg. leeks (approx 1 lb)
16 plum tomatoes (about 2 lbs), cut in half
1/4 C virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, peeled & cut into 1/4 in. dice
4 cloves roasted garlic, peeled & minced
1 bottle Mexican beer, such as Negra Modelo or Bohemia
1 C water
1 tsp chipotle chili puree
2 T chopped fresh parsley leaves
salt to taste

Preheat the grill or broiler. Cut most of the green parts
off the leeks, but leave the roots on as this will help
hold the leeks together while they cook. Cut the leeks in
half lengthwise & blanch leeks in boiling salted water for
1 min. Drain & plunge into ice water. Grill the tomatoes
& leeks until grill marks begin to show, or place them on
a rack & broil them for about 5 min. Remove, let cool,
quarter the tomatoes & cut the leeks into 1 in. slices,
discarding the root ends.

In a pan, heat the olive oil & saute the onion & garlic over
medium high heat for 10 min., until brown. Deglaze the pan
with the beer & reduce liquid by half. Add the water &
continue to reduce until the sauce thickens. Add the chipotle
puree, parsley & salt; stir in. Immediately before serving,
add the reserved chopped tomatoes & leeks. Yield: about 3 C.

Best served at once, but will keep refrigerated for up to 2
days. Serve warm w/grilled fish, such as halibut or bass, or
w/clams, or red meats. To use for pasta topping, add some
chopped smoked duck or ham. Also good as a pizza topping.

Chipotle Chili Puree

It is common to rehydrate dried chiles before using them in
Southwestern cuisine. They can then be pureed & added to
sauces, soups, etc. You can puree chiles ahead of time; if
you do not use them in a day or two, freeze them.

Sten & seed the chiles, then dry roast in a single layer in
a large cast iron skillet or on a baking sheet in a 250 deg
oven for 2 to 3 min. Shake occasionally & do not allow them
to blacken or burn, or else the chiles will taste bitter.

Transfer the chiles to a large bowl & cover w/enough hot or
boiling water just to cover. Let stand for 20 to 30 min. until
they are rehydrated & soft. Transfer the chiles to a blender.
Taste the water in which they were soaking, & if it is NOT
bitter, add enough to the blender to make pureeing possible.
If the water does taste bitter, use a little plain water.
Puree the chiles & strain.