Papa Grande’s Fenwick Island executive chef, Efrain Martinez, cooks up a Mexican feast to help you celebrate Cinco de Mayo all month long
Photography by Pamela Aquilani
CLASSICALLY CREATIVE Award-winning executive chef Efrain Martinez leads a culinary team known for creating authentic and dynamic dining experiences at Papa Grande’s Fenwick Island.
GROUND BEEF EMPANADAS
Ingredients:
5 lbs ground beef
1 cup onions, chopped
1 cup Pico de Gallo
1 cup pineapple, chopped
1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts, crushed
¼ cup garlic, minced
½ qt ketchup
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp ground pepper
¼ cup chipotle in Adobo purée
2 eggs, beaten
1 pack puff-pastry sheets
1 lb queso fresco
Vegetable oil
Instructions:
In a round, hot pot, cook the ground beef with vegetable oil. Put it aside.
Clean and use the same pot to sauté onions, garlic and add the cooked ground beef. Let it cook until the meat gets soft and the onions get a nice, light color.
Add the rest of the ingredients, saving the chipotle puree until the end, and add that in small quantities until you get the spiciness you are looking for.
Cut 3-inch-wide circles on the puff pastry. You can use a soup bowl or cup; the size may vary depending on what you have in your kitchen. Brush the edges of the circles with the beaten eggs. Using a tablespoon, add the stuffing in the middle. Close the empanadas using the tip of your fingers.
Brush the top of the empanadas with beaten eggs and bake in a preheated oven at 300°F for 20 minutes — or you can dip fry it for 6 minutes at 350°F. Plate the empanadas using avocado salsa verde in the bottom of the plate, topped with roasted tomato and pineapple salsa, drizzle of crema and a sprinkle of queso fresco.
AVOCADO SALSA VERDE
Ingredients:
4 ripe avocados
2 jalapeños
½ cup lime juice
1 cup cilantro
4 garlic cloves
1½ cups water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Instructions:
In a blender, mix all the ingredients; adjust the flavor with salt and pepper at the end.
CREMA
Ingredients:
2 lbs sour cream
2 cups buttermilk
Instructions:
In a mixing bowl, combine the ingredients until you get a nice, smooth mixture.
ROASTED TOMATO AND PINEAPPLE SALSA
Ingredients:
1 pineapple
5 tomatoes
1 white onion
4 cloves of garlic
1 bunch of cilantro
4 fresh jalapeños
Salt pepper to taste
Instructions:
On a stove burner or grill, roast tomatoes, jalapeños and onions. Wrap the garlic in foil and roast on the flame. When the vegetables have a nice, charred color, mix with a blender, adding a bunch of cilantro, salt and pepper. Clean the pineapple and pull out the heart. Dice and add to the salsa. Mix with the rest of the ingredients.
CILANTRO, LIME SHRIMP RICE BOWL
Ingredients:
1 lb medium-sized shrimp
1 green bell pepper, julienned
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 zucchini, sliced
1 yellow squash, sliced
1 cup Brussels sprouts, shaved
1 cup corn, shaved
1 cup white onions, julienned
1 cup cabbage, sliced
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup fresh lime juice
½ cup agave nectar
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup cooked beans
1 egg
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 cup fresh guacamole
Vegetable oil
Instructions:
In a hot sauté pan, start cooking 6-7 pieces of shrimp using vegetable oil. After shrimp start getting a nice, red color, add onions, shaved Brussels, zucchini, squash and peppers. With the shrimp fully cooked and the vegetables with a nice charred look, add soy sauce, lime juice and agave nectar. Let the liquids get soaked up, and then add the chopped cilantro. Toss it together. Next, fry the egg.
Plate using the rice, beans and cabbage as a side and add guacamole and fried egg on top.
BARBACOA SHORT RIBS BURRITO
Ingredients:
1 12-inch flour tortilla
2 cups short ribs barbacoa
1 cup beer-braised beans
1 cup cooked rice
½ cup enchilada sauce
½ cup fresh guacamole
½ cup shredded jack cheese
1 cup queso fundido
Instructions:
Extend the tortilla and place cheese, rice, beans and the short ribs barbacoa in the middle. Fold, roll and close the tortilla, putting it on a slightly hot pan on both sides.
Cut the burrito in half. You can plate it using the enchilada sauce on the bottom of the plate. Stock the two halves and cover them with queso fundido. Add a side of guacamole with a wedge of lime.
COOKIES AND CREAM FRIED ICE CREAM
Ingredients:
1 tub cookies-and-cream ice cream
1 loaf Wonder white bread
1 cup milk
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
3 cups corn flakes, ground
1 cup chocolate crumb
1 cup chocolate sauce
Whipped cream
Instructions:
With a wooden roller, roll a couple slices of white bread, making them slim and flat.
With an ice cream scooper, make balls of ice cream and place them in a cupcake baking pan.
Put it in the freezer for at least two hours.
When ready, remove the ice cream balls from the freezer and wrap them with flat slices of bread until they are completely covered. After covering all the balls, wrap them with plastic wrap, place back on the cupcake bake pan and return to the freezer for another two hours.
In a small mixing bowl, mix the milk, sugar and eggs. Pull the covered ice cream balls from the freezer, unwrap the plastic and dip each in the egg wash mixture and dust them with ground corn flakes. After you have all the balls covered, put them back on the baking pan and return to the freezer for another two hours and repeat the process with the corn flakes. Let them sit overnight.
Using a fryer with oil at 350°F, dip-fry the ice cream balls for one minute.
Cut the balls in half to serve; use chocolate sauce on the bottom of the plate, whipped cream and finish with a dust of chocolate crumb around the plate.