Recipe: Molletes

It’s almost embarrassing to say this. Having grown up in California with all of the incredible authentic Mexican cuisine, I went to New York to try my first Mollete. Café Habana, a small Cuban restaurant on Prince street, is one of the best restaurants in New York. On a hot and humid night, the atmosphere is electric. Small and cozy to say the least, the food is amazing. I will someday write a review of the restaurant and talk about the incredible dishes served for dinner, but, don’t forget to try Café Habana for breakfast and brunch as well. It was here that I tried my first Mollete.

A Mollete is an open-faced sandwich traditionally from Northern Mexico although variations are found throughout various regions. I have no idea if the Mollete at Café Habana is authentic Mexican cuisine, but it is delicious, and this is my attempt to make them myself.

One of my “secrets” is spreading softened butter on the bread before filling it with the beans. I also always serve it with either a salad with apple and vinegar to offset the richness or avocado drizzled with lime.

Ingredients:

• 1 soft French baguette (or Mexican Torta roll)
• 1lb can of black beans
  • (or you can take the time to cook the beans from scratch. They are better, but do have to soak overnight before you cook them)
• 1 tablespoon of Sazon (or you can easily make it yourself)
  • For this, I don’t use annatto for this recipe, but traditionally it is in Sazon.
  •  1 tablespoon of garlic powder
  •  ½ tablespoon of kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin          
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• ½ cup of freshly grated Jack cheese
• ¼ cup of freshly grated Cheddar Cheese
• ¼ cup of shredded Mozzarella
  • (you can of course substitute any blend of cheeses or, better yet, Mexican cheeses as long as they are good melting cheeses)
• 1 tablespoon of soft butter
• 1/4 lb. of good Chorizo
  • (Or you can make your own. Simply buy a pound of fine ground pork, and mix it with a teaspoon of cold water, 4 garlic cloves peeled and minced, ¼ cup of good-quality ancho chile powder, ½ teaspoon Mexican cinnamon, ground, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, salt, and then allow to sit for several days in the refrigerator)

Begin by opening the can of black beans and strain and rinse them. Then, place the beans back into a pot and add enough water to barely cover them (should be less than covered). Add the Sazon, bay leaf, and oregano and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes and then remove the bay leaf.

While the beans are cooking, drizzle a little oil into a skillet and add chorizo. Cook over medium high heat and render. Using a fork, smash the chorizo, breaking it up into the smallest of possible pieces. Remove the chorizo and place on a plate with a paper towel to drain off the excess oil.

When the beans are done, use a fork to mash the beans into a paste. If the paste is too thin, then return to the stove and continue to simmer until it is thick enough. Add chorizo to the mixture.

Cut the baguette or roll length wise and remove a little bit of the interior soft bread, leaving the crust intact. Take soft butter and spread it on the bottom of the roll. Then, spoon the bean and chorizo mixture onto the bread and top with cheese.

Turn on the broiler and place under the broiler, watching it carefully to melt the cheese.

Serve with a salad or slices of avocado.