In our noodle-making adventures, we have learned that we need an incredibly intense flavor base to justify flavoring a noodle. Without a massive flavor to start, we end up with only the idea of flavor when eating the noodles. Today, we revisited jalapeno noodles. I love both raw and charred jalapenos. I satisfied my cravings by using equal parts raw and charred jalapenos in our puree, the flavoring for the noodles. I pureed the jalapenos with water and preserved lemon brine. I strained the puree and used 600 grams plus approximately 20 grams more to hydrate 2000 grams of semolina. The noodles have both aromas and flavors I crave from jalapeno, the tarry rawness and the smoky cut grass from the charring. The preserved lemon notes faded to the background in the noodles, but they inspired further flavor pairings and sauce development.
Jalapeno Puree
– 350 grams jalapenos to char
– 350 grams raw jalapenos
– 50 grams preserved lemon brine
– 300 grams water
Put a medium-sized cast iron pan on medium-high heat and heat until it is smoking. Put the jalapenos in the pan and let them char and blister. Turn the jalapenos in the pan and char the entire exterior of the peppers. Remove the jalapenos from the pan and put them into a blender. Add the raw jalapenos, water, and lemon brine into the blender. Turn the blender on low and increase the speed to high. Puree the mixture until it appears smooth, about 30 seconds. Turn the blender off and strain the mixture through a fine-meshed sieve. Weigh the mixture if using for pasta. It should be a bit more than is needed. The rest of the puree can spike a bloody mary or season some guacamole.
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