Top Chef Masters, Season 1, Episode 9, Elimination Challenge

Serves 25

ROASTED GARLIC GUACAMOLE (YIELD 8 CUPS)

• 12 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 12 medium-large (5 pounds) ripe avocados
• 1 cup (loosely packed) coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (thick bottom stems cut off)
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, plus a little more if necessary
• Salt

SALSA MEXICANA (YIELD 3 CUPS)

• 1 medium (6-ounce) white onion, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
• Hot green chiles to taste (usually 3 serranos or 2 small jalapeños), stemmed, seeded (if you wish) and finely chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds (about 3 medium-large round or 8 to 10 plum) red-ripe tomatoes, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup (loosely packed) chopped fresh cilantro (thick bottom stems cut off)
• About 1/4 cup fresh lime juice

ORANGE-TOMATILLO SALSA (YIELD 3 CUPS)

• 1 pound (7 to 8 medium) tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut into 8 pieces each
• 1 small (4-ounce) red onion, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
• 3 or 4 canned chipotle chiles en adobo, removed from the canning sauce, seeded and finely chopped
• 3 large seedless oranges

CRAB SALPICON (YIELD 4 CUPS)

• 1 pound crab meat, picked over for stray bits of shell
• 3/4 of a small jícama, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces (you’ll have about 1 cup)
• 5 to 6 green onions, roots and wilted outer leave removed, cut cross-wise into 1/4-inch pieces (you’ll have about 2/3 cup)
• 2/3 cup (loosely packed) chopped fesh cilantro (thick bottom stems cut off)
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice

ROASTED POBLANO SALPICON (YIELD 3 CUPS)

• 1 pound (5 to 6 medium) fresh poblano chiles
• 1 medium (6-ounce) red onion, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
• 12 ounces fresh mushrooms (oyster mushrooms would be my first choice here), tough stems cut off, caps cut into 1/4-inch wide strips about 1 inch long
• OR 8 ounces smoked salmon (the fully-cooked hot-smoked salmon available widely is good, as well as traditional smoked salmon), cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (you may want a little less if using smoked salmon)

CHIPS AND GARNISHES

• 2 to 3 pounds large chips (preferably homemade or ones from a local tortilla factory) or small tostadas
• 1 1/2 cups (about 6 ounces) Mexican queso fresco or queso añejo or other garnishing cheese like salted pressed farmer’s cheese, firm goat cheese, mild feta or romano, finely crumbled or grated
• 1 1/2 cups (about 6 ounces) toasted pumpkinseeds
• 1 1/2 cups sliced “nacho ring” pickled jalapeños (you’ll need an 11-ounce can)
• 1 1/2 cups (about 4 1/2 ounces) coarsely crumbled chicharrón (Mexican crisp-fried pork rind)
• OR 1 cup crumbled, crisp-fried bacon (you’ll need to start with 4 to 5 medium-thick bacon slices)

ROASTED GARLIC GUACAMOLE

In a small dry skillet over medium heat, roast the unpeeled garlic until it is soft and blackened in spots, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool, then slip off the papery skins and finely chop. Cut around each avocado from stem to blossom end and back up again, then twist the halves apart. Dislodge the pit and scoop the avocado flesh into a large bowl. Add the garlic, cilantro and lime. Coarsely mash everything together. Taste and season with salt, usually about 2 teaspoons. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole. Refrigerate.

SALSA MEXICANA

Scoop the onion into a strainer, rinse under cold tap water, shake off the excess and transfer to a medium bowl. Add the green chile, tomatoes, cilantro and lime. Stir well, taste and season with salt, usually about 1 teaspoon. Cover and refrigerate.

ORANGE-TOMATILLO SALSA

Scoop half the tomatillos into a small microwavable bowl, cover with plastic wrap, puncture in 2 or 3 places, then microwave on full power for 3 minutes—until the tomatillos are completely soft and olive colored. Uncover and let cool. Scoop the remaining tomatillos into a food processor and pulse several times until evenly chopped—no pieces should be bigger than 1/4 inch. Scrape into a medium bowl. Scoop the onion into a strainer, rinse under cold tap water, shake off the excess and add to the bowl along with the chipotles. Without washing the processor, process the cooked tomatillos until smooth. Stir into the fresh tomatillo mixture. Using a small knife, cut the peel from the oranges. Cut sections (supremes) from the oranges by cutting between the white membranes to release segments with no white pith or membrane. Cut each segment into 3 or 4 pieces and stir them into the tomatillo mixture. Taste and season with salt, usually 1 teaspoon. Cover and refrigerate.

CRAB SALPICON

In a medium bowl, combine the crab, jícama, green onion, cilantro and lime juice. Taste and season with salt, usually about a generous teaspoon. Cover and refrigerate.

ROASTED POBLANO SALPICON

Over an open flame or 4 inches below a preheated broiler, roast the poblanos, turning them regularly until evenly blistered and blackened all over, about 5 minutes for an open flame, about 10 minutes for the broiler. Place in a bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let cool until handle-able. Rub off the blackened skin, then pull out the stem and seed pod; briefly rinse to remove any bits of skin and stray seeds. Chop into 1/4-inch pieces and scoop into a medium bowl. Scoop the onion into a strainer, rinse under cold water, shake off the excess and transfer to the bowl along with the mushroom (or smoked salmon), oregano and lime juice. Taste and season with salt if using mushrooms, usually about 1 teaspoon. (If using smoked salmon you won’t need salt.) Cover and refrigerate.

SERVING THE LUXURY GUACAMOLE BAR

Scoop the guacamole, salsa mexicana, orange-tomatillo salsa, crab salpicón and poblano salpicón into serving bowls. Scoop the chips into a large basket or bowl and the garnishes into small serving bowls. Set out everything—put spoons in all the preparations and garnishes—for your guests to enjoy, encouraging them to spoon a little guacamole on a chip, top with one of the preparations and sprinkle with a garnish that appeals.