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"Luminarias" means "light."
And that’s a fitting word to describe Luminarias, a Mexican restaurant that debuted in 1971 in a Spanish-style hacienda with sweeping views of the San Gabriel Valley.From its perch on a hilltop in Monterey Park, California (hence the nickname “The Light on the Hill”), Luminarias offers service and food “known for being just as warm and inviting as its radiant exterior, which is set aglow by lanterns at night.”
“It’s here that Executive Chef Marcos Soberanes prepares authentic Mexican dishes that meld traditional recipes with contemporary touches to create a menu of award-winning cuisine.
Among his favorites: Shrimp with Ancho Chile Glaze, served with mash potatoes and sautéed asparagus.
“When people talk about chile, they think about hot, spicy food. In this case chile ancho has a sweet smoky flavor—their heat is mild-medium hot and people love this type of flavors,” Soberanes explains. “Plus, we add honey to this sauce. This chile sauce is essential for many of my Mexican dishes and people love it!”
Shrimp with Ancho Chile Glaze
Executive Chef Marcos Soberanes
Luminarias/Monterey Hill, Specialty Restaurants Corporation
The Ancho Chile Glaze:
Makes enough for 40 servings
8 each guajillo chilies, cleaned and roasted
8 each ancho chilies, cleaned and roasted
3 each tomatoes, roasted
½ onion julienne, roasted
½ onion julienned, raw
4 each garlic [clove], roasted
2 each bay leaves, toasted
2 oz. sesame seed, toasted
20 oz. chicken broth
2 each tortillas, roasted
1 oz. achiote paste
2 oz. vegetable oil
16 oz. honey
Blend all ingredients together except the honey and 1 ounce of the vegetable oil. Once all the ingredients are blended to a sauce, pour about 1 ounce of vegetable oil in a sauté pan and fry the sauce for a few minutes to a nice consistency. Let the sauce cool down and add the honey, seasoned with salt and pepper to your taste. The sauce must be on the sweet side. Marinate shrimp (see below) for at least a few hours before cooking time.
The Shrimp:
Makes 1 serving
1 oz. grape seed oil
6 each clean shrimp, marinated in ancho chile glaze
½ oz. garlic chopped
1 oz. butter unsalted
1 oz. shrimp (or chicken) stock
Salt and pepper to taste
2 oz. ancho chile glaze
Mashed potatoes and sautéed asparagus, for accompaniments.
Microgreens for garnish.
Heat olive oil in a skillet, add the garlic and shrimp, and cook for about 2 minutes (be careful not to overcook the shrimp). Add the butter and stock, and season according to your taste.
Place shrimp over mashed potatoes, spoon chile glaze on top, and arrange the sautéed asparagus on plate. Garnish with microgreens.