High Desert Table

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red chiles

Old Plaza Cocktail: The High Desert Vieux Carré

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In 1938, Walter Bergeron, head bartender of the Carousel Bar in the Monteleone Hotel riffed on the Manhattan cocktail (rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, bitters), taking it to the next level in an homage to the romance of New Orleans. His changes were small but mighty. He added cognac (French Brandy) and Benedictine (a French herbal liquor made up of 27 plants and spices) and both Peychauds (light, candied cherry, orange) and Angostura (deep, spicy and savory) bitters. He named it “Vieux Carré”, French for “Old Square”, a nod to the French Quarter neighborhood in New Orleans which he saw as romantic, reminiscent of another time.

A High Desert Twist: Mezcal & Pine Liquor

I only know about the Vieux Carré because it happens to be my husband’s favorite cocktail. So I’ve learned to not only make it, but to also appreciate its mysterious and nuanced complexity. With the holidays approaching, I wanted to make a special version with notes of the high desert throughout that also acknowledges the magic of the historic plaza at the center of Santa Fe. To do this, I only make two main alterations to the classic— instead of rye whiskey, we add mezcal. And we swap out sweet vermouth for pine liquor.

Optional Infusion: Elevating the Flavors

If you want to take this version to the next level (which is impossible for me to resist) you can gently infuse the mezcal a few days in advance with dried red chiles, juniper berries and lavender. This is entirely optional but delightful. If you skip the infusion, you can make this cocktail in about five minutes.

Serving Suggestions: Straight Up or On the Rocks

This is a strong cocktail, so it’s important to know that you have options when it comes to serving. In the classic style, the cocktail is served straight, stirred with ice, strained into a cocktail glass and garnished with a lemon twist. But there is nothing wrong with serving it with ice or even ice and a splash of soda to lighten it up. I like to multiply this recipe by four and keep a jar in the fridge. Because there is no juice, it will keep for a long time in the fridge.

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Old Plaza Cocktail: The High Desert Vieux Carré

Old Plaza Cocktail - in a cocktail glass
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The Old Plaza Cocktail is a smoky and spicy twist on the classic Vieux Carré cocktail. It uses mezcal and pine liquor in place of rye whiskey and sweet vermouth, with optional infusions of red chiles, juniper berries, and lavender.

  • Author: Marianne Sundquist
  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 5 mins
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 1 cocktail
  • Category: cocktail
  • Method: mix
  • Cuisine: New Orleans

Ingredients

Units

For the infused Mezcal:

  • 5 New Mexico Red Chiles, seeded (optional) & stemmed
  • 2 c. mezcal
  • 1 t. dried lavender buds
  • 1 t. dried juniper berries

For the cocktail:

  • 3/4 oz. infused mezcal
  • 3/4 oz. cognac
  • 1/2 oz. pine liquor
  • 1/2 oz. benedictine
  • 2 dashes peychauds bitters
  • 2 dashes angostura bitters
  • 1 lemon peel, for garnish

Instructions

Making the infusion

3-5 days before you want to make the cocktail, infuse the mezcal. Place a dry skillet over medium heat. Quickly sear the red chiles on all sides just until their oils activate and the chiles soften. Turn off the heat. Transfer the chiles to a glass jar. Add the mezcal, lavender and juniper berries. Put a tight fitting lid on the jar and place it somewhere cool and dark, giving it a shake every day. After infusing, strain the mezcal through a fine mesh strainer and now it’s ready for use.

Old Plaza Cocktail - Infusion in a jar

To make the cocktail

Fill a large glass with ice. Add the infused mezcal, cognac, pine liquor, benedictine and both bitters. Stir for around ten seconds and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon peel and serve immediately.

Additional Option

You can also strain the cocktail into a rocks glass with ice and a splash of soda water for a lighter version.

 

Red Chile & Caramelized Onion Dip

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In the last few weeks, I have found myself at birthday parties, block parties, and picnics at the park. So this week I wanted to make a homemade dip/spread that would be perfect for crackers, sandwiches, crusty bread, charcuterie, and all the vegetables you can think of. This creamy, red-chile spiked caramelized onion dip is even good with apples, and yesterday, I found myself smearing some on a piece of hot smoked salmon. 

Caramelizing the onions

The secret to a good homemade caramelized onion dip is all about the onions. After around fifteen minutes of cooking, the onions will change to a light caramel color. It’s only natural that one would think you have reached your cooking destination and turn off the heat. But let me assure you, there is far more caramelized traveling to be had. There are many shades of caramelized onions, just like there are many shades of butter turning brown and all of them mean various degrees of (heavenly) depth of flavor. As your onions continue to turn deeper shades of brown (at the lowest heat your stove will allow), you’ll also notice they lose more water and take up less space in the pot. Until, at last, you have a small amount of deeply caramelized onions packed with sweet and savory flavor.

The next step is adding High Desert Herbs or Herbes de Provence, some red chile, sour cream, and a brick of softened cream cheese. You’ll notice the recipe calls for a specific order for mixing everything together. This is so you don’t have any little lumps of cream cheese suspended in the dip, which isn’t too big of a deal since it doesn’t affect the flavor, but does alter the final texture and appearance. 

If you have a number of get-togethers coming up, if I were you I’d double or triple the batch (since caramelizing onions takes a bit of time) and freeze pints of the finished dip. The day before you need some dip, pull one out of the freezer and the next day you’ll be ready to roll.

plated caramelized onion dip ready for sharing
plated homemade caramelized onion dip ready for sharing
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Red Chile Caramelized Onion Dip

Red Chile Onion Dip with Appetizer Platter
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This creamy, red-chile caramelized onion dip is perfect for crackers, sandwiches, crusty bread, charcuterie, and all the vegetables you can think of. Made with New Mexico Red Chiles, this appetizer is perfect for any party, picnic, or southwest gathering.

  • Author: Marianne Sundquist
  • Prep Time: 25
  • Cook Time: 35
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 1 pint
  • Category: appetizer
  • Method: Caramelize
  • Cuisine: New Mexican

Ingredients

Units
  • 2 T. butter
  • 1 large yellow onion, sliced
  • 2 t. High Desert Herbs or Herbes de Provence
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 c. Mild New Mexico Red Chile puree
  • 1 1/2 c. Sour cream
  • 1 brick (8 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • minced chives, for garnishing

Instructions

In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the onions, cover, and cook for around fifteen minutes. This allows the onions to steam and release a large portion of their water fairly quickly. While they are steaming, stir them every few minutes.

caramelizing the onions in a Le Creuset Dutch oven
caramelizing the onions in a Le Creuset Dutch oven

Uncover the onions and at this point, they will probably begin to look caramelized. Uncover them, stir, add the dried herbs, and turn the heat to low (as low as it can go). Let them continue to slowly caramelize for around 30 minutes, stirring every five minutes or so. Add the garlic and cook for another five minutes, stirring frequently.

Turn off the heat and deglaze with the red chile puree, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Carefully transfer this mixture to a blender or food processor and buzz just a few times and let it come to room temperature.

Once the onions are cooled to room temperature, add the cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and whisk for about a minute until it’s light and airy. Add the sour cream and mix again. Now add the onion mixture and mix until everything is distributed. Check seasoning and add salt and/or pepper as needed. Transfer to a bowl and garnish with chives.