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Chef's Choice: Pablo Salas

For the majority of people living north of the Rio Grande, the perception of Mexican cuisine can be pretty narrow.

For the majority of people living north of the Rio Grande, the perception of Mexican cuisine can be pretty narrow.

Of course, you've got your standard fare, the tacos, burritos and quesadillas that we're all familiar with, but with access to some of the best produce and a wave of young chefs pushing the envelope, Mexico is asserting itself as the next great food nation.

First introduced to America in the mid-20th century with the wave of immigrants who were beginning to set down roots in the southwestern border states, these traditional street foods began to slowly pop up across the country with the rise of Tex-Mex cuisine in the '70s.

Since then, little has changed, with your typical Mexican eateries serving the same, staid fare that's been around for years.

Thankfully, there are chefs like Pablo Salas working to change all that, and challenging diners' preconceived notions of what Mexican food can be.

The 34-year-old is one of Mexico's most celebrated young chefs, and was appointed as the country's delegate of the Conservatory of Mexican Gastronomic Culture, the agency responsible for the promotion and dissemination of Mexican cuisine through UNESCO. He was also brought in for several events at Whistler's premier food and wine festival, Cornucopia, as a guest chef at Mexican Corner's new Village location. As any of the diners who were lucky enough to sample some of Salas's sumptuous and refined plates can attest to, there's more to Mexican cuisine than we've been led to believe.

"Right now I think (the perception of) Mexican cuisine is changing a lot. People now see Mexico differently for its gastronomy," said Salas from his home in the south central city of Toluca. "We are not just molé, just corn, just tortillas, just tacos or just burritos. No, we are more than that, and people are now realizing that. We have a long culture of gastronomy, a lot of ingredients, a lot of techniques and a lot of new chefs that we are proud of."

Salas's style of food is firmly rooted in the concept of dichotomy; transforming street food to haute-cuisine and adding modern flourishes he learned at Mexico City's prestigious Ambrosia Culinary School to generations-old recipes.

The Salas family took over a Toluca restaurant in 2004 that had fallen into disrepair, rebranding it as Amaranta. It was there that the young chef was able to experiment and perfect his dishes — much like his mother did for so many years while he was growing up.

"My mother was the biggest influence on me because she wasn't a trained chef, but she really loved to cook every day," Salas said. "I saw her cook all the time, always trying new things. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't, and I think that's the way we cook (at Amaranta) too."

Another major influence on Salas was the ubiquitous street food he grew up with like so many other Mexicans. These food carts would often take what most would consider to be the cheap, discarded parts of the animal, he said, and turn them into delicious, hearty meals using fresh produce and bold-flavoured sauces. It's a strategy he utilizes regularly to great effect at Amaranta, borrowing traditional recipes from Estado de Mexico, one of 31 states in the country, and transforming them for a gourmet setting.

"What I'm trying to do is interpret those recipes, and find a way to make them easier to eat. I do a pig's feet carpaccio, so I use the pig's feet but I don't use the bones. We eat pig's feet here as a traditional dish with some vinegar, olive oil, chilies, carrots and cauliflower. But we reinterpret that dish with no bones and a different presentation," he said. "I have some techniques I have learned as a cook, and I try to apply that to my cuisine, but with all the respect to the original flavours."

Salas realized the benefit of taking advantage of Mexico's plentiful ingredients and rich culinary history long ago. Here's hoping the rest of us do too some day.

The Mexican Corner opened its new location at 4274 Mountain Square at the base of Whistler Mountain earlier this month. It's now open from 5:30 p.m. seven days a week.

Visit www.themexicancorner.ca for more information

 

Braised rabbit salpicon (salad)

Ingredients

  • 1 piece of rabbit
  • 1.5 cups of dark beer
  • salt
  • pepper
  • Guajillo chige
  • 1 onion
  • garlic
  • 3.5 tbsp. white vinegar
  • oregano

 

Salpicón

Lettuce, tomato, red onion, oregano, salt, pepper, white vinegar, olive oil, pork rinds

 

Avocado mousse:

  • 2 avocadoes
  • 6.5 tbsp. whipping cream
  • 6.5 tbsp. double cream cheese
  • lemon juice
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper

12 toasted tortillas

1 can refried black beans

 

Preparation

For the rabbit cooking:

Marinate the whole rabbit with dark beer for at least 30 minutes.

While in marinade, remove seeds and veins from the guajillo chiles, then blend them with onion, garlic, oregano and vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Rub all the rabbit with the sauce and wrap it in foil.

In a pressure cooker, without water, place the wrapped rabbit over a grill rack left at the bottom of the pot. Cook for 30 minutes.

Shred the rabbit.

 

For the salpicón:

Cut the lettuce into chiffonade, mince red onion and tomato in brunoise.

Chop pork rinds.

In a bowl mix the rabbit with the vegetables and pork rinds.

Set aside.

 

For the avocado mousse:

Blend the avocado with whipping cream and double cream cheese.

Add salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Add olive oil to help to form an emulsion.

 

Serving:

Place a tostada (toasted tortilla), cover it up with refried beans, add the mix of rabbit and vegetables.

Dress it with the avocado mousse.