Less is more in this simple glaze. The complexity here comes from cooking the garlic and onion until sweet enough to round out the heat of the chiles. I love brushing this on any grilled meat or fish. Another fun use is tossing this sauce with fried calamari or popcorn shrimp.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes about 3/4 cup
Ingredients
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 small sweet onion, finely diced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 to 3 chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped, to taste
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons unsulphured blackstrap molasses
1 tablespoon liquid mesquite smoke (see Pantry, page 253)
Preparation
In a medium sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, onion, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very tender and sweet, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chiles, vinegar, molasses, and liquid smoke until well combined. Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until almost smooth. The sauce can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Reprinted with permission from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes by Jean-Georges Vongerichten with Genevieve Ko. Copyright © 2011 by Jean-Georges Vongerichten; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.
Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the most influential chefs in the world, having single-handedly redefined haute French cuisine, lightening and refining it by adding select Asian accents. He is the chef-owner of dozens of restaurants in fourteen cities around the world. His flagship restaurant, Jean Georges, at New York's Columbus Circle, is one of six restaurants in the United States to have been awarded three coveted Michelin stars; it received four stars from the New York Times. The winner of multiple James Beard Foundation awards, he lives in New York City and Waccabuc, New York, with his family.
Genevieve Ko is a cookbook author and the senior food editor at Good Housekeeping magazine. She has written for Martha Stewart Living, Gourmet, and Fine Cooking and lives in New York City with her family.
