Mexican Chef Enrique Olvera Shares Moxi Menu Highlights

San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, situated four hours north of Mexico City in the state of Guanajuato, has long been synonymous with artistically inclined expats looking for inspiration. A UNESCO World Heritage Site celebrated for its intact 500-year-old Spanish architecture, the city was once characterized by small, family-owned B&Bs and apartments for rent. Lately, San Miguel has undergone a mainstream boom with Rosewood opening a property off the atmospheric main plaza, and equally fabulous boutique spots like the Hotel Matilda bridging the gap between modern art, cutting edge design, and gastronomy in one of the country’s most colonial towns. With the introduction of Mexico’s most recognized chef, Enrique Olvera, and Moxi, his restaurant within the Hotel Matilda, internationally acclaimed culinary prowess has elevated San Miguel’s cache well past the backyards of the bohemian expat.

For those unfamiliar, Enrique Olvera’s culinary backstory is has been nothing less than history making. After completing his studies at New York’s Culinary Institute of America, Enrique Olvera returned to Mexico City and opened Pujol in 2000. Though Olvera has received numerous prestigious Mexican awards that have honored him as Mexico’s leading chef since 2004, the rest of the world has finally caught on. Food & Wine described Olvera as one of the “10 Most Promising Figures in World Cuisine,” and in 2011, Pujol became the first Mexican restaurant with a Mexican chef to be named to the San Pellegrino list of “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.”

Now responsible for the operation of the Hotel Matilda’s restaurant, Moxi, and the hotel lounge, Bar Matilda, Olvera’s food and beverage program sets San Miguel apart.  As Hotel Matilda Director Bruce James explains, “We are thrilled to join forces with Chef Enrique and introduce a level of culinary sophistication to San Miguel de Allende that previously could only be found in Mexico City.”

“Our menu at Moxi has a Mexican soul but an international palate,” Olvera says. “The flavors, textures, combinations and presentations are subtly familiar yet exuberantly original.”

The dishes at Moxi are prepared with farm-to-table ingredients procured locally from the best organic farms and specialty food producers who specialize in specific products, including Purisima de Jalpa farm for vegetables, herbs and salads, and El Capricho for fresh cow and goat cheeses. Meats also are locally sourced, and seafood is flown in fresh from Ensenada. “To be authentic, you must be seasonal and local,” said Chef Olvera. “These two words are encrypted in our cuisine.”

The Latin Kitchen recently asked Chef Olvera to share some of the highlights on the Moxi menu with our readers. The following three recipes can be found at Moxi, though the adventurous can try their own Olvera inspired dishes in their home kitchens. 

Enrique Olvera's Hidden Egg

For the puffed tortilla

• 1 cup corn flour mix
• 1 pinch salt
• ¾ teaspoon vegetable oil
• water, as needed

For the bean puree

• 1 ounce black beans soaked in water overnight
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 white onion
• 1 epazote herb
• water
• salt

For the salsa de molcajete

• 1 white onion
• serrano pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• Roma tomatoes
• 1 fresh cilantro
• 5 ounces dried grasshoppers or chapulin
• salt, as needed

For the egg

• 4 eggs
• boiling water

 Click here for the full recipe.

Enrique Olvera's Sea Bass "Al Pastor"

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup pineapple
• salt
• lime juice

For the garden mix:

• 1 white onion
• 1 bundle fresh cilantro
• 1 serrano pepper
• 1 dash salt

For the sea bass:

• 2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 guajillo pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 pound sea bass
• clarified butter
• lime juice
• salt

Click here for the full recipe.

Enrique Olvera's Creamy Lime Pie

Lime Sauce

• 1 ounce condensed milk
• lime juice

Lime Cream

• 1 ounce cream cheese
• 1 ounce lime sauce

Pie

• frozen yogurt
• 1 package vanilla wafer cookies