Corn Torte With Red and Green Chile Sauce

Recipe courtesy Cafe Pasqual's, Santa Fe, NM

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• Corn Torte

• 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
• 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
• 7 -8  cups corn kernels (from about 9 ears)
• 1⁄4 cup heavy cream
• 1⁄4 cup  whole milk
• 5  large eggs, separated
• 3⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3⁄4 cup  rice flour
• 1  tablespoon baking powder
• 1  teaspoon kosher salt

• Green Chile Sauce

• 2  teaspoons  dried mexican oregano or marjoram leaves, crumbled
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 6  garlic cloves, peeled and finely diced
• 1⁄2  white onion, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 2  tablespoons  vegetable oil
• 3  tablespoons all-purpose flour

• Red Chile Sauce

• 1  tablespoon kosher salt
• 1  tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1  teaspoon dried oregano
• 16  guajillo chilies, stemmed and seeded
• 8  ancho chilies, stemmed and seeded
• 4  chiles de arbol, stemmed
• 2  garlic cloves, peeled
• 1⁄2  white onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 2  ounces  dried green chilies, rehydrated for 30 minutes in 4 cups boiling water, peeled, sliced into 1/4-inch strips and roughly c

Directions

1. For the torte:
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Butter a round 9-inch cake pan, line with waxed paper and then butter the waxed paper. (Spray vegetable oil can be substituted for greasing.) Beat the butter in a bowl until creamy using an electric mixer, about 5 minutes. Add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. Set aside.
4. Scald the milk and heavy cream together in a small saucepan. Place the milk and cream mixture and corn kernels in the container of a blender and puree. Set aside and let cool.
5. Beat the egg yolks thoroughly with a whisk in a bowl. Mix the corn puree into the butter and sugar mixture in batches, alternating with the egg yolks. Sift together the flours, baking powder and salt in a bowl, and then mix into the corn batter by hand. Transfer the batter to a large mixing bowl.
6. Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they form soft peaks, and then gently fold into the batter with a rubber spatula. Spoon into the prepared pan and bake until golden brown, 45 minutes.
7. For the green chile sauce:
8. Combine the rehydrated chopped chiles and their rehydrating liquid, the oregano, salt, garlic and onions in a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes. Heat the oil in a small saucepan for 1 minute, and then add the flour and stir with a wire balloon whisk until the roux becomes light golden and gives off a nut-like aroma. Add 1/2 cup of the green chile mixture and stir vigorously to incorporate.
9. Stir the roux mixture back into the chile mixture and barely simmer for a few minutes. Add more salt to taste.
10. For the red chile sauce:
11. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the salt, vinegar, oregano, chiles, garlic and onions. Return to a boil and cook, covered, over high heat for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Transfer to a blender and whirl until smooth. Strain through a large wire mesh strainer; discard the seeds. Add salt to taste and refrigerate until ready to use.
12. Serve the corn torte with the red and green chile sauces.