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jennifer rose

Mar 12, 2006, 10:08 PM

Post #1 of 4 (1075 views)

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The Cuisine of Cuaresma

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At http://www.mexconnected.com/mex_/recipes/puebla/kg0306.html, Karen Hursh Graber has written a Culinary Guide to Mexican Fish and Shellfish, food items which gain even greater importance during this time of year. What special Lenten fish --and non-fish -- dishes do you relish during Lent in Mexico?

DoDi2

Mar 13, 2006, 1:17 AM

Post #2 of 4 (1069 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] The Cuisine of Cuaresma

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In Oaxaca Valle Region on Good Friday a traditional dish to serve is Pescado y Frijoles Blancos.

Here's the recipe:

Pescado seco (bacalao.. i.e. salt cod) is left to soak in water overnight to rehydrate and remove salt.

The next morning frijoles blancos (small white beans) are boiled and then rinsed. Put the cooked and rinsed beans in fresh water to make the soup. Turn the heat up to simmer.

Grind plenty of cumin seed and garlic and a little water to a paste in a molcajete. Fill the molcajete with water and pour through a wire sieve into the pot of beans and water.

Separate egg whites and reserve the whole yolks. Beat the egg whites until they form peaks and then add the egg yolks one by one, beating with a whisk. (hint: Basically this is chile relleno batter.)

Cut the cod into serving size pieces. Important: Set some of the cod aside without cooking it. Dip the rest into the beaten egg and fry in oil until well done.

Add salt to the egg mixture remaining in the bowl and fry in batches about the size of a pancake (one or two eggs worth of batter) in a few inches of sufficiently hot oil (it should puff up when it hits the oil) turning over once to fry both sides. Put the fried eggs to the side on a dish to drain the grease and cool a little.

Tear the fried egg in good size pieces and put them in the bean pot.

Cut 1/2 a white onion in rings. Cut 2 - 3 tomatoes in round slices. Clean and drain and destem flat italian parsley leaves.

Fry the onion and tomatoes lightly in a little oil and add to the bean soup.

Add the pieces of cod that were set aside an not fried.

Add the fresh parsely leaves.

Taste the soup and add salt (the amount needed will depend on how much salt was still left in the fish).

Serve the bean soup in bowls and set a platter of the fried cod and warm tortillas on the table for everyone to help themselves.

(This post was edited by DoDi2 on Mar 13, 2006, 1:27 AM)

DoDi2

Mar 13, 2006, 1:36 PM

Post #3 of 4 (1036 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] The Cuisine of Cuaresma

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A Oaxacan dessert associated with Semana Santa is nicoatole. It's made the same way as one makes atole con leche (which is sweetened with sugar and canela), but using less milk (or water) so that when you pour it out into a pan and let it sit it will thicken up. You cut this into squares. It's kind of a gelatin like sweet.

(This post was edited by DoDi2 on Mar 13, 2006, 1:39 PM)

Anonimo

Mar 13, 2006, 2:40 PM

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Re: [jennifer rose] The Cuisine of Cuaresma

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We were talking with Concepcíon Tena of the Casa Hotel La Siranda in Pátzcuaro the other day, and she mentioned capirotada as a typical Cuaresmeña dessert.

(Credit: Rolly Brook)

Saludos,
Anonimo