There was tons of garlic in there and some black pepper, which contain allicin and piperine (respectively), both of which cause the “spicy” sensation for some people.

From a third-party source, we’d prefer Penzey’s advice over McCormick’s. We like to buy our spices from Penzeys Spices (we’ve mentioned them before) as they seem to be very knowledgeable and we’ve found their selection and quality to be superb. Penzey describes Anchos as “sweet, rich peppers with very little heat”.

I made a raspberry-garlic aioli by whipping an egg yolk with two mashed garlic cloves (mashed with a pinch of kosher salt), along with a tablespoon of honey dijon mustard. Then I slowly drizzled in good extra virgin olive oil, until I had a bit over a cup of aioli. Then I whisked in about three tablespoons of raspberry white wine vinegar and some more salt and white pepper to taste. Oh, I also sprinkled in a solid tablespoon of dried parsley.

Separately, I shredded ancho chilis (dried poblanos), sans seeds, in the food processor. Then I let them sit in about two teaspoons of hot water, for about an hour.

I mixed about a cup of cornmeal and a 1/4 cup of bread crumbs with two teaspoons garlic powder, a tablespoon of dried parsley, and a teaspoon of mustard powder. Then I moistened the mixture with about two tablespoons of the aioli and enough extra virgin olive oil for it to just be moist enough to clump.

The tilapia was seasoned with salt and black pepper and flash fried lightly in vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet. I undercooked the fish, about 40 seconds per side, then placed on a baking sheet. The topping was piled atop each piece. THe whole sheet baked at 400 for about 6 minutes, then broiled for 2.5 minutes.

The fish was served on a plate with parsley, and the aioli on the side in minicups. Yum!