FOOD : RED HAUTE : The Humble Chipotle Makes Southwestern Cuisine Smolder With Flavor

ON FIRST EXAMINATION, it’s difficult to figure out why all the fuss about the chipotle chile. It’s wrinkled and wizened, the color of dried leaves. But a cautious sniff unearths dust, smoke, heat. The whole of Central Mexico seems to be wrapped up in this inauspicious-looking pepper. The chipotle tastes of dirt roads, blazing sun and fired-wood braziers. That’s why the chipotle has become a favorite in Southwestern cuisine--it’s truly a red- haute chile pepper.

“I use them in practically everything,” says Mark Miller, whose Coyote Cafe in Santa Feis regarded as a leader in nouvelle Southwestern cooking. “They give a particular type of heat and flavor that isn’t in any other chile. I use them to blend into other chili sauces and moles , though probably not so much that they’re identifiable. They give a lot of background flavor, a wonderful smoky heat.”

Unlike most peppers, which are named by their botanical type, chipotles are named according to their preparation. A chipotle begins life as a simple jalapeno pepper. Left to ripen until bright red, it is then partially air-dried. Because of the jalapeno’s thick flesh, it won’t dry completely without help, so it is pit-smoked over mesquite, which imparts the distinctive tangy odor. In fact, the name chipotle refers to this process. Like such other nouvelle Southwestern cuisine words as avocado and guacamole, chipotle comes from the language of the Aztecs, Nahuatl: chil (chile) and poctli (smoked).

After drying, chipotles are sometimes reconstituted, pickled and canned in a somewhat tomatoey adobo sauce. These are commonly found in the Latin-American aisles of grocery stores. Dried chipotles can be found in ethnic markets. As with any other dried chile, look for pods that are intact and fairly pliable.

“We use them as a basic flavoring in a number of our sauces,” says Janine Coyle, owner of Venice’s Sabroso!, where an estimated 200 pounds of dried chipotles are served each year. “We use them in a Caesar salad dressing and on ribs. They have a certain amount of spiciness, but it’s spiciness without being raw. Fresh chiles, like serrano or jalapeno, just burn your tongue. With chipotles , it’s a smoky heat that you can stand. You don’t just reach for a glass of water or a beer. And with that smoke, you get a sweet taste rather than a salty taste. In fact, sometimes I’ll use a little maple syrup or balsamic vinegar to round out that sweet taste.”

Some of the chipotle ‘ s fire can be avoided. Before cooking, remove the inner veins and seeds, which are covered with an oil containing capsaicin, the chemical that makes chiles hot.

“I use a lot of canned chipotles because I like the pickled flavor,” says Bill Hufferd, who cooked Southwestern style at Rebecca’s in Venice before moving to the more Midwestern fare of DC3 in Santa Monica. “I still use chipotles in our Canadian grilled halibut dish, which comes with a lime beurre blanc , garnished with julienned scallions, fresh cilantro and diced chipotles ,” he says.

Roger Hayot, whose nouvelle Southwestern food has customers standing in line in front of the Authentic Cafe on Beverly Boulevard, also uses a lot of chipotles --but only in their dried form. Hayot either grinds the pods to add to fresh pasta dough, or boils, soaks, cleans and purees them for his own chipotles en adobo. “When you buy canned chipotles , you’re buying the manufacturer’s spicing mixture rather than the pure chipotle flavor,” Hayot says. “It’s like buying chili powder rather than pure chiles. I’d rather control the flavor myself.”

Hayot also is particular about the origin of his chiles. Most chipotles come from Puebla, Mexico, but Hayot has found a small company, Perez-Ident in El Paso, which smokes its own chipotles . Unfortunately, these are not in retail distribution.

Whatever the chipotle of choice, Hayot cautions a cook to start with a small amount. “It just takes a pinch,” he says. “If you don’t temper the taste, they’ll kill somebody.”

Food styled by Alice M. Hart / Food for Film Stylists; plate from New Stone Age, Los Angeles; fork from The Prince’s Table, Beverly Hills; iron fork from Wilder Place, Los Angeles

This salpicon -style mixture is intended as a filling for soft tacos, but it also makes a tasty salad. It’s from “Authentic Mexican” by Rick Bayless with Deann Groen Bayless (Morrow: $24.95).

POLLO, AGUACATE Y CHILE CHIPOTLE EN FRIO (Cold Chicken and Avocado with Chile Chipotle) 1 chicken leg-and-thigh quarter or 1 large breast half 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 small (about 6 ounces) boiling potatoes, halved 2 medium (about 6 ounces) carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 to 4 canned chiles chipotle, seeded and thinly sliced 1/4 small onion, finely diced 4 large romaine lettuce leaves, sliced in 3/8-inch strips, plus several whole leaves for garnish 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and diced 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 slice of onion, broken into rings, for garnish Bring 2 cups of water to boil in medium-size saucepan. Add chicken and salt, skim off foam that rises as water returns to a boil, partially cover and simmer over medium heat (20 to 25 minutes for dark meat, 10 to 15 minutes for breast). Cool chicken in broth.

Boil potatoes and carrots in salted water to cover until they are just tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Rinse under cold water. Strip off potato skins, if desired, then dice potatoes and carrots into 3/8-inch pieces. Place in large mixing bowl. Skin and bone chicken, then tear meat into large shreds and add to potatoes.

Skim the fat from the top of the broth, then measure 3 tablespoons of broth into a small bowl.

Stir in vinegar, oregano and salt. Pour dressing over chicken mixture and add sliced chipotles and chopped onion. Stir, cover and let stand for 45 minutes, refrigerated or at room temperature.

Shortly before serving, mix sliced lettuce and diced avocado into chicken mixture. Drizzle with oil and toss lightly. Season to taste with salt. Line serving platter with the remaining romaine leaves and top with chicken mixture. Decorate with onion rings. Makes 4 servings.

MARK MILLER’S TAMARIND AND CHIPOTLE SAUCE 2 pounds whole tamarind pods 6 quarts water 2/3 cup piloncillo or golden brown sugar 2 cloves garlic, roasted 2 canned chipotle chiles en adobo 2 teaspoons adobo sauce Juice of 1 lime Clean tamarind pods and discard brittle outer shell. Place in large pot with water, cover and simmer slowly for at least 2 1/2 hours. Allow to cool; place in food mill and, using medium mesh, strain water and extract (approximately 9 cups). Transfer to pan and reduce until about 3 cups are left. Place in blender and puree with sugar, garlic, chipotle and sauce. Then add lime juice and blend. Makes 3 cups sauce.

ROGER HAYOT’S FETTUCCINE WITH SMOKED CHICKEN AND SHALLOT-CHIPOTLE CREAM SAUCE 1 1/4 pounds egg fettuccine 1 pound smoked chicken cut into strips 2 ounces olive oil 2 tablespoons shallots minced 8 ounces fresh corn kernels 4 ounces red onion, sliced thin 8 oyster mushrooms, cut in medium strips 1 teaspoon chipotle puree (canned, adobo style) or to taste 1 red pepper, deveined, seeded, julienned and cut in strips 3 ounces chicken broth 3 ounces heavy cream 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste Fresh cilantro sprigs for garnish Place pasta in boiling salted water and cook al dente. Drain, dot with butter and keep warm in serving bowl.

Heat saute pan over medium flame. Add olive oil. When hot, place chicken, shallots, corn, onions, mushrooms and peppers and saute for 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and chipotle puree and reduce by half. Add cream and black pepper and reduce until sauce thickens. Season with salt. Add to the pasta and garnish with cilantro sprigs. Makes 4 servings.

This salpicon -style mixture is intended as a filling for soft tacos, but it also makes a tasty salad. It’s from “Authentic Mexican” by Rick Bayless with Deann Groen Bayless (Morrow: $24.95).

POLLO, AGUACATE Y CHILE CHIPOTLE EN FRIO (Cold Chicken and Avocado with Chile Chipotle) 1 chicken leg-and-thigh quarter or 1 large breast half 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 small (about 6 ounces) boiling potatoes, halved 2 medium (about 6 ounces) carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 to 4 canned chiles chipotle, seeded and thinly sliced 1/4 small onion, finely diced 4 large romaine lettuce leaves, sliced in 3/8-inch strips, plus several whole leaves for garnish 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and diced 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 slice of onion, broken into rings, for garnish Bring 2 cups of water to boil in medium-size saucepan. Add chicken and salt, skim off foam that rises as water returns to a boil, partially cover and simmer over medium heat (20 to 25 minutes for dark meat, 10 to 15 minutes for breast). Cool chicken in broth.

Boil potatoes and carrots in salted water to cover until they are just tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Rinse under cold water. Strip off potato skins, if desired, then dice potatoes and carrots into 3/8-inch pieces. Place in large mixing bowl. Skin and bone chicken, then tear meat into large shreds and add to potatoes.

Skim fat from broth, then measure 3 tablespoons of broth into a small bowl. Stir in vinegar, oregano and salt. Pour dressing over chicken mixture and add sliced chipotles and chopped onion. Stir, cover and let stand for 45 minutes, refrigerated or at room temperature.

Shortly before serving, mix sliced lettuce and diced avocado into chicken mixture. Drizzle with oil and toss lightly. Season to taste with salt. Line serving platter with the remaining romaine leaves and top with chicken mixture. Decorate with onion rings. Makes 4 servings.

Food styled by Alice M. Hart / Food for Film Stylists; plate from New Stone Age, Los Angeles; fork from The Prince’s Table, Beverly Hills; iron fork from Wilder Place, Los Angeles.