Mijenta, the award-winning artisanal tequila from the highlands of Jalisco, welcomed acclaimed Mexican chef, Danny Mena, to its family. One of New York City’s top restaurateurs, Mena founded Manhattan’s Hecho en Dumbo before launching La Loncheria in Brooklyn and most recently produced his cookbook, Made in Mexico, published by Rizzoli.

Following the launch of Mijenta’s Blanco (September 2020) and Reposado (December 2020), Mena has created a series of recipes which showcase the versatility of the brand’s unique liquid, incorporated and paired with a variety of traditional and contemporary Mexican dishes.

“For me, Mijenta speaks to the people. The dishes that I selected are traditional dishes from Mexico such as Chilles Rellenos, Aguachile Verde, and a special kind of Mole that I called Mole Mijenta. These are all iconic dishes that I associate with different people in my life, be it my aunt, my parents, or a restaurant I used to go to with my family. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what region you are from, what social class or what your story may be, these are dishes that are eaten unanimously and are an essential component in bringing people together” shares Mena.

Mena adds “The Sinaloa-style Ceviche Verde is infused with Mijenta Blanco which mellows the spice and brings the flavors together. The Mijenta Mole blend from the Michoacán region is a perfect balance of spices and sweetness, which is exactly what Mijenta is, and what Mexicans are to me. It’s a warm, sweet and endearing culture with just the right amount of spice.”

Mijenta has released four of Mena’s recipes including Aguachile Verde which incorporates the brand’s Blanco within the dish, which is best enjoyed with the liquid on the rocks. Mole Mijenta is paired with Mijenta’s Mayan Hot Chocolate and Chiles Rellenos with Jimador’s Old Fashioned, whilst Mena’s Tuna Tostada is paired with the Tequila Daisy. Each Mijenta cocktail pairing was selected to complement and bring out the flavor of each creation.

All four dish recipes are now available to view and download here and cocktail pairing recipes here on www.mijenta-tequila.com.

Aguachile Verde
(Serves 4)
1 lb. jumbo sea scallops (also labelled as “U/10”)
2 octopus tentacles, cooked Juice of 6 limes (about ¾ cup)
2 tablespoons of Mijenta Blanco
2 chiles serranos, stemmed and seeded
1 English cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
2 sprigs cilantro 2 sprigs parsley ½ teaspoon salt
2 radishes, sliced thin
1 avocado, cubed
Cilantro leaves, for garnish
Tortilla chips

Slice the jumbo scallops thin, about 3 or 4 pieces per scallop. Slice the octopus on a slight diagonal as thin as you can. Place seafood in a bowl, add lime juice and toss well. Refrigerate for 10 minutes; you only want a slight “pickle” here since scallops are also delicious raw.

Drain the lime juice from the scallops directly into a blender jar. Add 2 tablespoons of Mijenta Blanco. Add chiles, cucumber, cilantro, parsley, salt, and purée until very smooth, about 3 minutes. Strain.

Divide scallop/octopus mixture among six small bowls, piling into tall mounds. Divide the cucumber liquid among the bowls. Garnish with radish, avocado, cucumber and red onion, and serve with tortilla chips.

Tuna Tostada
(Serves 4)
12 slices of sashimi grade tuna, sliced thin
1 tbsp salsa valentina
1 tsp of jugo maggi
1 tsp of soy sauce
1 tsp of lime juice
1 tsp of avocado/olive/grapeseed oil
2tsp of cream cheese
2tsp of mayonaise
½ avocado
½ Chile serrano finely chopped
1 tostada
1 red onion, sliced very thin

Mix valentina, maggi, soy and lime juice and place over thinly cut sliced tuna to marinate for about 30 minutes.
Mix cream cheese and mayo until dissolved together and then add avocado, serrano mix together. Season well with salt.
Fry red onion into crispy over low heat in a small frying pan, for about 3 minutes.
On the tostada spread a layer of the avocado mix. Then top with marinated tuna, top with a cloud of red onions and serve.

Chiles Rellenos
(Serves 4)
4 poblano chiles
½ medium white onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
6 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 pinch dried thyme
1 pinch dried oregano
1 chipotle morita
½ pound queso Oaxaca, grated (can be mozzarella)
6 eggs, separated
¼ cup flour
½ cup vegetable oil

Roast chiles until blackened over gas burners. Let cool and peel skin. Then split open, remove seeds and fill with grated cheese.
Heat pot over medium heat and coat with vegetable oil. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft. Add tomatoes and chipotle, thyme and oregano, and cook until tomatoes soften. Blend well.
Whip the egg whites in a large bowl until they make stiff peaks, then mix in the egg yolks. Place flour on a plate. Dredge chiles in flour and then pass them through the eggs to coat. Add to the oil in a single layer. Cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per.
To serve, place a generous spoonful sauce onto plates, and place one ch

Mole Mijenta
(Serves 4)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 white onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
6 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
3 costeño chiles, stemmed and seeded
3 guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (3-inch) piece canela (Mexican cinnamon)
1 teaspoon ground allspice ½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¼ cup blanched almonds
¼ cup peanuts
1 tsp of anise seeds
2 corn tortillas, torn into small pieces
5 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
½ cup raisins
4 ounces dark (semisweet) chocolate, preferably Mexican chocolate, chopped roughly
8 cups chicken stock (or veg stock)

Roast chicken separately and add the Mole. For vegetarian option, it can be replaced by wild mushrooms or roasted cauliflower.
Heat a Dutch oven (or other large heavy pot) over medium-low heat and add oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook to just soften. Add all the chiles and cook until aromatic, then add the sesame seeds, oregano, canela, allspice, cloves, thyme, anise, almonds, and peanuts and cook for another 5 minutes to toast the nuts and blend flavors. Add the tortillas and cook for another 3 minutes, so they soften and absorb the spices. Then add the tomatoes and raisins and cook for about 2 minutes more to heat through. Add the chocolate and chicken stock, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Raise the heat to medium heat and bring to a simmer and cook for about 1hr.
Blend well and return the mole to the pot and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid sticking.

MIJENTA BLANCO [$49, RELEASED SEPTEMBER 2020] Blanco, the first expression from Mijenta, presents the brand’s core offering. Mijenta Blanco, offers the purest form of the agave plant and is a true expression of Mijenta’s quality and artistry. The outstanding tequila is bright and transparent with a powerful body that features, honey, vanilla, caramel and floral notes, along with flashes of tropical fruits such as peach, melon, pineapple and light touches of soursop. The palate confirms its olfactory promise, with a complex, silky and generous finale, perfected by Mijenta’s preeminent Maestra Tequilera.

 MIJENTA REPOSADO [$69, RELEASED DECEMBER 2020] Mijenta’s Reposado is second expression from the prestigious hand-crafted tequila brand. Mijenta’s Reposado is aged up to six months in a blend of American white oak, French oak and French acacia casks. Presenting a more mature and fuller expression with a long finish on the palate, the Reposado possesses a delicate and inviting vanilla nose with notes of bergamot, honey, preserved fruits – such as cherry and pear – and orange blossom flowers, together with a mid-palate of cacao nibs. Over a period of six months, the tequila is tasted every 15 days in order to identify when it has reached its optimum flavor profile. A limited number of bottles will be available, with only 6,500 produced in the first batch.