Hugo’s Mexican Restaurant is participating in Houston Restaurant Week between August 1 and 21. Hugo Ortega and his brother Ruben show restaurant journalist Cleverley Stone how to make three delicious dishes that are on their menu during Houston Restaurant Week: Squash Blossoms, Pan Seared Scallops and a Blueberry Tart.

Hugo’s Mexican Restaurant will donate $5 to the Houston Food Bank for each special dinner sold during the event.

For more information about food, wine and dining in Houston, listen to Cleverley’s radio show on Saturdays at Noon on KIKK-Talk 650 AM. (By the way, she gives out free restaurant gift certificates on every radio show!)

Coctel de Flor de Calabaza
(serves 1, may be easily doubled)
Source: Chef Hugo Ortega, Hugo’s Mexican Restaurant

Ingredients

3 ea cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 heaping tbs. cucumber, ½ in cubes
¼ jalapeño, minced, more if you like it spicy
1 heaping tablespoon radish, julienned
1-2 tsp white onion, minced
1 heaping tablespoon avocado, ½ in cubes
3 generous sprigs cilantro, leaves only
5 squash blossoms, stems removed, 4 chopped, leaving 1 whole for garnish
1 tbs white corn kernels
2 tbs zucchini, ½ in cubes
1 tbs lime juice
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Mix all ingredients, garnish with remaining whole squash blossom and serve.

Callo de Hacha with Pan de Elote
(Pan Seared Sea Scallops & Mexican Cornbread)
Serves 6
Submitted by chef Hugo Ortega
Hugo’s

Ingredients

24 medium U-10 sea scallops
Olive oil

Crema de Poblano
6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
½ med onion, cut into strips
2 each Hoja Santa leaves
15 sprigs parsley
2 poblano peppers, cut into strips
4 oz butter
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbs salt or to taste
4 cups milk

Swiss Chard
3 cups Swiss chard (pressed)
3 tbs olive oil
½ med white onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of ½ lime
Salt to taste

Pan de Elote (corn bread)
7 oz butter, room temp.
1 cup sugar
7 egg yolks
7 egg whites
1 ½ cups flour
1 tbs + ½ tsp baking powder
2 ½ cups sweet corn
1 tsp salt

Preparation

1. First, make the cornbread. Puree the corn in a food processor and set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar until creamy, add egg yolks. Add flour on low speed,
then add baking powder until all incorporated. Add corn and blend until it is incorporated.
Remove batter to another bowl.
3. Clean bowl and whip egg whites and salt until firm peak stage. Fold into corn mixture.
4. Pour into greased ½ sheet pan or two 9 X 13 pans. Mixture will not come far up the sides.
It is meant to be a thin cornbread.
5. Bake at 325 degrees until toothpick comes out clean, about 30 min.

6. Make the Crema de Poblano. In medium saucepan, heat butter over medium heat,
add onion strips and garlic and cook for 3 minutes until onions are browned nicely.
7. Add cream and milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
8. Add poblano pepper strips, parsley, hoja santa and cook 5 more minutes.
9. Blend one third of this mixture in blender and return the mixed portion to the poblano mixture.
Set aside.

10. Make the Swiss chard. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat until almost smoking.
Add onion and garlic and let cook for 2 minutes until onions are soft.
11. Add Swiss chard, a squeeze of lime and salt to taste, let cook 2 minutes and hold warm to
complete dish.

12. Cook the scallops. Heat oil in a medium sauté pan until almost smoking,
add scallops – 4 to 6 at a time, being careful that they do not touch each other.
13. Sear them until nicely browned but not overcooked. Add a bit more oil as needed
for each batch of scallops. Hold scallops warm until all are cooked.

14. To plate the dish. Place a square of cooked warm cornbread on the plate.
It must be large enough to hold 4 scallops. Spread 1/6 of the warm Swiss chard over the cornbread.
Top with 1/6 of the warm Crema de Poblano over the chard and top with the nicely browned scallops.

Blueberry Tart
Submitted by Chef Ruben Ortega
Hugo’s

PASTRY CREAM FILLING

Ingredients

3 cups milk
½ vanilla bean
½ teaspoon orange zest
5 tablespoons corn starch
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 whole eggs
1 egg yolk
Touch of salt

Preparation

1. Place the milk; half the sugar; orange zest and vanilla bean in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Combine the egg yolks and the remaining sugar in a bowl and whisk until light in color.
Add in the cornstarch and the salt, mix to combine.
3. When the milk just begins to boil, remove from heat and remove vanilla bean and very slowly
dribble the hot milk into the yolk mixture, stirring all the time.
4. When about half of the milk has been added, place all of the yolk mixture into the saucepan
over medium heat. Using a spatula or a whisk, mix the pastry cream as it heats, making sure to
reach all of the corners of the pan when you stir.
5. Bring the mixture to a boil. Let boil for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. The mixture
will be thick. Remove from heat and strain it, if you wish, for a smoother cream.
6. Place into a bowl and cover directly with plastic wrap to stop a skin from forming on the cream.
Chill and use within a few days.

Blueberries in Sugar

Ingredients

1 pint blueberries (divide pint in half)
2 ½ oz granulated sugar
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons strawberry puree
Touch of salt
Touch of black pepper
½ tablespoon lemon juice

Preparation

1. In a saucepan, cook water and sugar until boiling. Let boil for 2 minutes.
2. Then add strawberry puree, half of the blueberries, salt, black pepper, and lemon juice.
Reduce the heat and cook slightly for 1 minute.
3. Remove from heat and add the other half of blue berries.
4. Transfer to a bowl and cool down in the fridge or ice water bath.

TART DOUGH

Ingredients

14 oz unsalted butter
¾ cups granulated sugar
1 whole egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 ¼ cups almond flour

Preparation

1. In a mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter for a few minutes,
add sugar and keep mixing until well blended. Add the egg and vanilla and mix for a few more minutes.
2. Add the dry ingredients last and mix just until it comes together into a dough.
Form into a ball and cover with plastic in the refrigerator until firm.
3. Once the dough is firm, butter a 9-inch fluted tart pan. Roll out chilled dough on floured
sheet of parchment paper to 12-inch round, lifting and turning dough occasionally to free from paper.
Using paper as aid, turn dough into 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom; peel off paper.
Seal any cracks in dough.
4. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch. Fold overhang in, making double-thick sides. Pierce crust all over with fork.
5. Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer, before baking.
6. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the shiny side of a piece of
aluminum foil and fit the foil, buttered side down, tightly against the crust. Put the tart pan on a
baking sheet and bake the crust for 20 to 25 minutes.
7. Carefully remove the foil. If the crust has puffed, press it down gently with the back of a spoon.
Bake the crust about 10 minutes longer to fully bake it, or until it is firm and golden brown.
8. Cool the crust to room temperature, fill the tart shell with the cold pastry cream and arrange
the blueberries in sugar on top of the pastry cream serve cold.