Pink mole
For this dish at ElNico, which opened in the Penny Hotel in the Brooklyn, N.Y., neighborhood of Williamsburg this spring, executive chef Fernanda Serrano wanted to create a mole that was different from the rich chocolatey variety, usually served with meet, that American foodies have grown accustomed to. This one is, by contrast, pink and vegan.
She combines tahini with beet powder, seeded habanero pepper, lemon juice, garlic, toasted cumin, and water until creamy but not watery.
Next she roasts beets over kosher salt until tender but still firm. She cools them, peels them, and then slices them thinly.
Separately, Serrano blends together seeded habaneros and kumquats with lemon zest and salt and emulsifies the mixture with olive oil.
She plates the pink tahini in a circular shape on a large serving plate and places a ball of shaved fennel seasoned with salt and lemon juice on top of it. That’s dressed in the habanero-kumquat mixture. She forms the beet slices into parachute shapes and covers the fennel ball with them. She sprinkles them with pine nuts and then garnishes them with shiso leaves, fennel tops, olive oil, and Maldon salt.
Serrano says mole traditionally contains a combination of fruit, nuts, and chile. This one has kumquats, pine nuts, and habanero pepper.
Price: $21