Post-Modern Southwestern Cooking Is Hot New Flavor

New Mexico-born chef John Sedlar is a pioneer of the new West. Six years ago, Sedlar introduced a unique blend of French-New Mexican cooking at his Manhattan Beach restaurant, Saint Estephe. Now, Southwestern cooking is as hot as a jalapeno and so prestigious it is discussed and demonstrated at seminars. And Sedlar is moving on to what he calls “post modern Southwestern cooking.”

What is that? Pressed for examples, Sedlar came up with stuffingless chiles rellenos and fishless fish and chips. Such sparse dishes may sound like non-food. But no, they are Sedlar’s whimsical titles for sophisticated arrangements of Southwestern ingredients. Sedlar turns the chiles rellenos inside out, placing the stuffing in a sauce on the plate with the chile on top. The fish and chips are as far from the English original as the Rio Grande. Potatoless as well as fishless, they consist of fish-shaped tortilla chips served with a bit of caviar, lobster or smoked salmon.

The lobster chips appeared in a buffet of Sedlar’s signature dishes set out for a party at Saint Estephe. The occasion honored the publication of his book, “Modern Southwest Cuisine” (Simon and Schuster: $22.95). Sedlar had much to celebrate that evening because the book was doing very well. The first printing of 20,000 copies sold out almost as soon as it was published. And guests toasted his success with sparkling wine produced in his native New Mexico.

The book is as much an art work as a recipe collection. Striking photographs by Richard Clark convey the mood of the Southwest with a dramatic starkness that is appropriate to Sedlar’s food. Turning the pages, one could be in a gallery in Santa Fe, where the 31-year-old chef was born. It was amazing to learn that Sedlar and writer Norman Koplas produced the book in only 10 weeks, including 10 days of photography. Steve Garcia, Sedlar’s partner, provided advice on matching wines to the distinctive food.

Sedlar often incorporates New Mexican Indian motifs into the presentation of his dishes. Belgian endive leaves simulating feathers ring a Kachina face composed of caviar and such accompaniments as egg yolk, onion and parsley. A chocolate truffle torte is stenciled with an antelope that might have been drawn by some prehistoric artist. In other imaginative dishes that were photographed for the book, a rattlesnake banded with smoked salmon, egg yolk, parsley, capers and onion twists about a plate. Tortilla arrows pierce a cake of avocado puree. And an arrow of saffron whipped cream zigzags across the pinto bean sauce that accompanies a grilled squab.

Lasting Trend

The food at Saint Estephe is “almost nouvelle in presentation,” Sedlar said. And he would bristle at the thought of showing it with the flowered pottery, serapes and sombreros that are commonly linked to traditional Mexican food, especially since he limits himself to purely Southwestern influences. Plain plates of strong design are more appropriate and were used for the book.

Sedlar is convinced that Southwestern cooking is a lasting trend. “It is inherently a very nutritious food but it needs to be adjusted to an ‘80s diet,” he said. That means reducing portion size, eliminating lard, using less red meat and less oil for frying.

Sedlar has moved far beyond the beans and chili that he grew up with and readily admits that his dishes would be unacceptable to die-hard New Mexicans. “In the Southwest, people still equate value with portion size,” he said. Faced with a nouvelle-size serving, they would not feel they were getting their money’s worth. Sedlar also observed that New Mexicans are too entrenched in traditional methods of preparation to understand his contemporary approach.

They would undoubtedly be shocked at his tacos, which are wrapped with radicchio, napa cabbage or lettuce leaves instead of corn tortillas. The radicchio tacos are stuffed with shredded smoked chicken mixed with mayonnaise blended with pimiento and hot chile. These are served two to a plate as a salad at Saint Estephe. The napa cabbage tacos are filled with shrimp and served with a buttery, tarragon-flavored Sauce Choron. Sedlar sees nothing odd in these variations. “The word taco can really mean anything wrapped,” he said. Here are the recipes, taken from his book.

JOHN SEDLAR’S RADICCHIO TACOS

2 quarts water

2 teaspoons coarse salt

12 asparagus spears, stems peeled

3/4 pound smoked chicken, skinned, boned and coarsely shredded

Red Chile Mayonnaise

12 radicchio leaves

12 whole chives, dipped in hot water to wilt

Bring water to boil with salt in large saucepan. Tie asparagus in bundle with string and stand it, tips up, in water. Simmer, covered, for 8 minutes, until tender but still firm. Transfer asparagus to bowl of ice water to stop cooking. When cool, trim each spear to leave 2-inch tip section. Reserve stems for another use.

Combine chicken shreds with 5 tablespoons Red Chile Mayonnaise, reserving any remainder for another use. Spread open each radicchio leaf and spoon chicken mixture inside. Top with 1 asparagus tip. Close each leaf and tie it tightly with chive. Makes 6 servings.

Red Chile Mayonnaise

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1/2 cup oil

1 tablespoon diced pimiento

1/2 teaspoon diced roasted jalapeno chile

Combine egg yolk, mustard, salt, white pepper and 1/2 teaspoon vinegar in food processor and process until thick and lemon-yellow in color. With motor running, very slowly add oil. When all oil is added and mixture is thick, add remaining vinegar, pimiento and chile and process until blended.

NAPA CABBAGE-SHRIMP TACOS

2 quarts water

2 teaspoons coarse salt

12 (6-inch) leaves napa cabbage

1 medium carrot

18 medium shrimp (about 1 pound 2 ounces), peeled and deveined

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon white pepper

Sauce Choron

Bring water to boil with salt in large saucepan. Select cabbage leaves from cabbage heart. Place in boiling water and cook about 10 seconds to blanch. Remove leaves from saucepan, retaining water, and rinse under cold running water until cool. Drain well on paper towels and set aside.

Cut carrot in half lengthwise. Cut from each half 2 lengthwise slices 1/8-inch thick. Cut each slice into long strips 1/8-inch wide to make about 18 strips. Bring water in saucepan to boil again. Add carrot strips and boil until just flexible, about 15 seconds. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

Remove tails from shrimp. Season shrimp to taste with salt and pepper. Place shrimp on rack in steamer over boiling water. Cover and steam about 4 minutes. Remove shrimp and pat dry with paper towels. Cut in half lengthwise, then cut halves into 1/4-inch pieces. Divide shrimp among 12 cabbage leaves, placing them in center of each leaf. Tuck top and bottom of each leaf over shrimp and fold sides over tightly to enclose them like package. Turn tacos folded side down and tie each with strip of carrot.

Spoon some of Sauce Choron into center of each of 6 large serving plates. Place 2 tacos side by side in center. Serve at room temperature. Makes 6 servings.

Sauce Choron

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons tarragon

1 small shallot, finely chopped

4 egg yolks, at room temperature

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon warm water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1 cup clarified butter

2 tablespoons tomato paste

Combine vinegar, tarragon and shallot in small saucepan. Cook over moderate heat until vinegar is absorbed, about 3 minutes. Set aside.

Combine egg yolks, lemon juice, water, salt and pepper in food processor or blender and process until yolks are frothy and lemon colored. With machine running, slowly pour in butter in thin stream, increasing flow gradually as sauce thickens. Then pulse in tarragon-shallot mixture and tomato concentrate until well blended.