There are no little things, or so someone said to me. Several times before she left.
Anyway. It turns out, there are small things, tiny gems that can adorn a plate or a dish and promote it from good to great.
Take sour cream. By itself, white and stingy to the palate. Put it atop a bowl of steaming chili and you have a wonderful mix. Cold sharp sour cream contrasts with the blaze of chili, beans, meat, and sauce. Everything is better.
In Dos Caminos Tacos by Ivy Stark there is this small recipe — I almost said “little” — that you will use everywhere. Think of it as sour cream on steroids, good cilantro steroids.
Cilantro Crema can be put atop or in just about any dish: tacos, chicken, tamales. In fact, as I pictured it, just pair some of this crema with chips for an appetizer that is so very different than “mere” salsa.
Ivy notes that ideally this dish should be made with Mexican crema. You may have access to authentic crema through a local market. Here, we use sour cream just thinned with a dash of heavy cream. You can substitute crème fraiche or Greek yoghurt.
The amount of cilantro and chile is up to you. When you first taste this crema, it will seem understated and you’ll be tempted to add more “stuff” right away. Don’t, don’t at least the first time you make this. It needs 24 hours in the refrigerator for the flavors to meld and intensify. On Day 2, this will astonish you.
If you do need to make this side and use immediately, then adding more serrano and a squirt of lime juice should be a good start.
Of course, this recipe is just a template for you. If you are substituting that yogurt, you may be tempted to add some dill. Go ahead. Try it. Take a small step, not just a little one, towards creating your own recipe portfolio.
Cilantro Crema
Yield: 2 ½ cups
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon minced scallions, including green parts
- 1 teaspoon seeded and minced serrano chile
- 2 cups crema or sour cream thinned with a little cream
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Preparation:
In the jar of an electric blender, combine the cilantro, scallions, and serrano chile; puree until smooth.
Scrape into a bowl, fold in the crema and salt, cover, and refrigerate until needed.
Source: Dos Caminos Tacos by Ivy Stark [Countryman Press, 2014]
Photo Information: Canon T2i, EFS 60mm Macro Lens, F/4 for1/30th second at ISO‑100