LOVE BITES

Raw fish and shellfish are known to be natural aphrodisiacs, which may explain why in every Latin American nation, there is at least one version of the seafood dish. Rayuela, a Lower East Side hot stop, serves a popular one called Las Siete Potencias. The dish’s sensual qualities are so powerful that Chef Maximo Tejada laughingly warns diners before trying it. It’s made with seven different types of seafood including lobster, scallops, calamari, oysters, and octopus, clams and mussels.

Here is Chef Maximo’s secret recipe that you can try at home this Valentine’s Day.

Las Siete Potencias

Yield: 8 Servings

1 lb. lobster (clean and cut in small pieces)

1 cup of shrimp (diced)

1 cup of bay scallops

8 Manila clams off the shell

8 mussels (same)

Half-cup jumbo lump crab meat

1 cup sliced octopus

6 tomatillos clean and diced

1ñ 1/2 cups of scallion sliced

Half cup of chives

1 cup cilantro

3 poblano peppers clean and chopped

10-12 jalapeÑos clean and chopped

7 cloves of garlic

5 green bell pepper

Preparation of seafood: Place one gallon of water with diced carrots, onions, celery and leeks (one cup of each) and salt to taste. Once water is boiling, dip lobster for about 4-6 minutes and then stop the cooking by putting it in iced water. Remove the meat off the shell and dice in small pieces. To cook the octopus, put in simm ering water for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours at slow fire until tender. (Cool down). Blanch rest of seafood for about 2-3 minutes and do the same to cool down.

Preparation of sauce: Place all vegetables in a blender until it becomes a thick sauce and then strain.

To serve: In a bowl, toss the seafood with a half-cup of fresh citrus juice (lime and lemon), and the green sauce, sliced red onions, chopped cilantro and olive oil. Marinate for 10 minutes and then serve in a martini glass.

Courtesy of Rosa Mexicano

Rosamexicano.com

Pasión de Ostines

Chilled oysters on the half shell with passion fruit cocktail sauce and green mango mignonette

Oysters

Ingredients:

6 ea. oysters

1 ea. lime rounds

Crushed ice

Procedure:

Thoroughly wash the oysters to ensure there is no dirt or loose shell. Open using an oyster knife. Place oysters on top of crushed ice and garnish with limes and serve with Green Mango Mignonette and Passion Fruit Cocktail Sauce on the side.

Green mango mignonette

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. red onion, diced

1/2 cup green mango, diced

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. serrano pepper, chopped

1/2 cup sherry vinegar

1/4 cup mango puree

Procedure:

Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate until use.

Passion fruit cocktail sauce

Ingredients:

3 ea. medium tomatoes, roasted and peeled

1 cup ketchup

1 1/2 tbsp. chile de arbol powder

3/4 cup passion fruit Juice

1 ea. garlic clove

2 tbsp. sugar

4 tbsp. lime juice

Kosher salt to taste

Procedure:

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Add salt to taste.

Adjust heat level with chile de arbol powder if necessary.

Refrigerate until use.

Fruits of Love Salsa

Courtesy of Rosa Mexicano restaurants

Ingredients:

Two 1/2-pint baskets raspberries

1 cup sugar

3 ea. large guajillo chiles, wiped clean, stemmed, seeded, lightly toasted, and soaked

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 tsp tabasco sauce

1 tsp salt

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips

2 ounces dried apricots or peaches, diced, 2 ounces candied pineapple, diced

Procedure:

Stir the raspberries, sugar, drained guajillos, water, lime juice, tabasco, and salt together in a medium-heavy saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly to break down the raspberries. Adjust the heat so the mixture is simmering, and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour into a blender jar and blend just until smooth.

Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a mixing bowl, pressing down hard to extract as much pulp and liquid as possible; discard the solids. Cool to room temperature.

When cooled, stir the chocolate, pecans, and dried fruit into the raspberry-chile puree. The salsa will be thick but pourable. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve. The salsa will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It will thicken as it sits. Bring to room temperature before serving and, if necessary, thin the salsa by adding water, 1 tablespoon at a time.