Pozolillo Vegano

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Summer brings us the abundance of fresh corn and this vegan recipe of pozolillo makes a great summer meal. Mushrooms replace the traditional use of chicken or pork.

Pozolillo consists of fresh kernels of corn whereas traditional pozole is made with corn dried on the stalk then cooked (nixtamal). Since the time of Montezuma a variety of corn was used named cacahuacintle, whose main characteristic is the large size of its grains. It’s cooked by boiling and the ancient Mexicas said that kernels were transformed into white flowers. Historically, pozole is a keystone of Mexican cuisine and is accompanied with an abundance of fact and myth as to its origin.

Upon the conquest of Mexico, Fray Bernardino de Sahagún documented about Pozole. Pozolli, a word that in Nahuatl means sparkling or boiled (foam is called apotzontli, potzonalli). Whatever the original recipe was, it has transcended into many regional versions of Pozole. Let’s get started.

Ingredients

Sauce

1 lb tomatillo, husks removed and washed

1-2 serrano peppers, stems, seeds and veins removed

2 chile poblano, stems, seeds and veins removed (optional)

2 cloves of garlic unpeeled

Soup

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup white onion chopped

8 ounces Portobello mushrooms (meaty), cut to bite size

Dried Chanterelle mushrooms (earthy), ½ oz (optional)

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon dried oregano

10 cups water

2 cups fresh corn kernels

1 cut fresh cilantro, chopped rough

Salt and pepper

Garnish

Cabbage or chopped lettuce

Sliced radishes

Limes cut in quarters

Oregano, Dry

Chile piquin, powdered

Preparation

Sauce

Peppers -The easiest way to roast, remove the stem, seeds and veins of the peppers is by slicing off the stem ends, then slicing the peppers in half, then scooping out the seeds and scraping the veins. The veins of the pepper contain the majority of the chile’s heat (capsicum). They are the light colored ribs on the inside of the pepper. Scrape them off . The spiciness overpowers the flavor of the pepper.

Roasting the peppers and tomatillos adds more flavor to the dish. ( The easier option is to simmer the tomatillos until soft and eliminate the use of poblanos) Roast poblanos, serranos, onion and garlic at 400° F until the tomatillos are soft. About 20-30 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove the charred skin off the poblanos and garlic. Liquify the peeled peppers, garlic and tomatillos in a food processor. Add water as needed.

Soup

In a sauté pan, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, cook the chopped onions until transparent, about 4 minutes, stir in the coriander and oregano, add the mushrooms and sauté them for 4 to 6 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft then add the sauce.

Start with 8 cups of water to add into the mushroom mixture and season with salt and pepper. Simmer the mixture about 15 minutes. Add the kernels of corn and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Use 1 ½ cups of water to liquify the cilantro in a food processor then mix this into the mushroom mixture. This step will give the pozolillo a brighter color of green. If needed, add additional water to thin the sauce to your desired soupiness.