TEQUILA-ORANGE BUTTER SAUCE

1 cup

          Here tequila keeps the orange juice from tasting too sweet and the serrano chilies add just a hint of spice. The sauce is good on scallops, fresh grilled tuna, swordfish or shrimp. One of my favorite little meals is servings of four grilled shrimp with two miniature cornbread muffins, each on a plate filmed with this sauce and garnished with fresh corn.

1 shallot, minced

2 serrano chilies, stemmed, cut in half and seeded (veins intact)

2/3 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons tequila

1/4 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Salt

White pepper

          Heat the shallot, serrano chilies, orange juice, vinegar and tequila to a boil in a medium skillet. Boil until reduced or 1/4 cup, about 2 minutes. Strain and discard the peppers. (For a hotter sauce, let the peppers steep in the liquid for 10 minutes.) Return the strained sauce to the same skillet. Add the cream and boil until thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and let the pan cool. Whisk in the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, to make a smooth and creamy sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep the sauce warm in a double boiler over hot water or in a thermos bottle until ready to use.