Wilo Benet: Puerto Rico True Flavors

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Super Chef is a big fan of Wilo Benet, the gifted chef cooking inspired food at Pikayo (see previous article "Wilo Benet: Pikayo Perfecto") and traditional Puerto Rican specialties at Paya in his native Puerto Rico. Wilo is well known for combining local ingredients and preparations with French technique. His new book, Puerto Rico True Flavors (Read Street 2007) is an investigation of the home cooking of the island. Much as cuisine de grand mere contains the inspiration of great French dishes, the cooking of Puerto Rico is not just simple but simply worth learning about. Clean flavors and many strands of influence from the island's previous conquerors yield good, hearty food and inspiration for more complex dishes. Wilo is an excellent teacher and his recipes are clear and easy to follow. The chapter on basics is essential: don't skip it. Most of the recipes in the book rely on the sauces, rubs and oils contained here, from Aceite de Achiote or Annato Oil made from achiote seeds to Adobo or dry rub (p. 6). For the Ajili Mojili (p. 7) you need to culantro, the close relative of cilantro that is far more pungent. In the next chapter on Fritters, Wilo romances the fried tidbits found in kiosks all over the island. He traces the evolution of simple side dishes to hors d'ouerves and Puerto Rican delicacies of tostones with caviar: In my opinion fritters are an art form; one that takes as long to master as any other. If you fry them too long, they can become bitter or too hard; if they are fried too little, they become oily and soggy. But there is nothing like a perfectly fried fritter; crispy and light at the same time, which we refer to as volao, for a fabulous, perfect texture (p. 15). Wilo goes on to describe his own experiments with different kinds of fritters at Pikayo. He has created a kind of miniature rice fritter, reminiscent of Persian tah-dig, which he tops with Tuna Tartar with Chipotle Chile Sauce, Land Crab Salmorejo, or Foie Gras Terrine and Black Truffle Honey to name a few. (Sadly, those recipes are not included in the book -- meaning there will be another?) Included are lessons for making classic fritters that will rise to art. The Chicharrones de Pollo or Chicken Cracklings (p. 27) adds adobo and sofrito as well as garlic and vinegar to flavor very small pieces of fried chicken. There are interesting stews and soups, including one made from plantains, Sopa de Platano (p. 83) and another from the Puerto Rican pumpkin, Sopa de Calabaza (p. 85). Both are thick, rich soups perfect for a cool evening. There is also the odd Jamonilla Guisada or stewed luncheon meat that proves how popular Spam and its knock-offs are around the world. There are so many other flavors in the stew that it is not surprising to learn from the recipe notes just how popular this dish is. Following the recipes is a section presenting Step by Step photographs for preparing some of the most important recipes, like Pastelillos or Turnovers (p. 220), Alcapurrias or Stuffed Yautia Fritters (pp. 222-223), and Piononos or Ripe Plainain and Beef Molds (pp. 225-226). The photographs by Jose L. Soto Acevedo show Wilo's capable hands and underscore his belief in the art of the fritter. Now that would make for an interesting Food Network show. What is missing are Wilo's own photographs. His skill as a photographer is amply displayed in his restaurants and hinted at on his website. Puerto Rico: True Flavors is full of wonderful home cooking recipes worked over and presented by a gifted chef. There are gems of flavor, good stories about the island, and excellent technique. Whether you are going to Puerto Rico or just thinking about a tropical beach, this book is a perfect companion. Previous articles: Puerto Rico: Grand Cuisine of the Caribbean Rum Diary: Puerto Rico's Future Chefs Wilo Benet: Pikayo Perfecto [Cookbook Reviews – complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, cookbook reviews, cookbooks, Wilo Benet, Puerto Rico --> back to Super Chef