Recipe - Angel Hair Pasta With Ancho Chile Sauce (Sopa Seca De Fideo

4 Ancho chiles stems; seeds
and veins removed
2 One half cup Chicken stock or water
2 Whole cloves
1 Garlic clove; coarsely
chopped
1/8 teaspoon Cumin seeds
Salt
One fourth cup Vegetable oil
4 ounce Angel hair pasta or very
fine vermicelli; preferably
in nests or skeins
1/3 cup Finely grated queso anejo or
Romano cheese
Avocado slices
Quartered limes

The following are from the April 1996 issue of Food & Wine in an article by
Diane Kennedy.

from "Libro di Cocina" by Jules Gouffe, pub. in Mexico in 1893

4 firstcourse servings

1.In a nonreactive medium saucepan, cover the chiles with water and simmer
for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let soak until soft, 5 more
minutes. Drain.

2.Pour One fourth cup of the chicken stock into the blender, add the cloves,
garlic and cumin seeds and blend until smooth. Season with salt. Add 1 more
cup of the stock and the drained chiles, a few at a time, and blend until
smooth, adding more stock if necessary.

3.Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan. Add the pasta and fry, turning,
until it has turned a deep golden color, about 3 minutes (keep the nests
intact). Strain off excess oil.

4.Add the blended sauce to the pasta in the skillet and fry over moderate
heat for about 3 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent
sticking. Cover and cook over low heat, adding the remaining stock a little
at a time to prevent sticking, until the pasta is just cooked through, 5 to
8 minutes.

5.Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with the cheese and serve with the
avocado and limes.
Posted to CHILEHEADS DIGEST by Judy Howle howle@ebicom.net on May 23,
1998