I went through several versions of Mexican scrambled eggs with dried shrimp, a common dish in Oaxaca’s Isthmus region, to find my favorite. In the Isthmus, it is made with camarones oreados, or partially dried shrimp, described in Diana Kennedy’s Oaxaca al Gusto, where the recipe uses epazote and chiles. This take on dried shrimp and scrambled eggs uses […]
Continue ReadingPicaditas are fun to make as well as eat. As each one is baking on the comal, the sides are pinched up, creating perfect little containers to hold the toppings. Veracruz, being a port city, has seafood variations on its picaditas, which are sometimes known locally as pelliscadas. A very attractive presentation for an appetizer or buffet table is to garnish each picadita with […]
Continue ReadingThis recipe for white beans with dried shrimp from the southern Pacific coast of Oaxaca is adapted from Susana Trilling’s wonderful regional cookbook, Seasons of My Heart. Use other beans, such as fava, and try substituting cilantro for the traditional hierba santa used in Oaxaca. Ingredients ½ pound whole dried shrimp, peeled, with heads removed and reserved 2 tablespoons […]
Continue Reading1 1/2 kilos of shrimp, cleaned and deveined 1/2 onion thinly sliced lengthwise 4 cloves of garlic, minced 3 Tbsp. oil 3 Tbsp. butter 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 2 Tbsp. consommé 2 ancho peppers, seeds and veins removed 1 chilacate pepper, seeds and veins removed 3 tomatoes 1 clove of garlic 1/4 C. white wine […]
Continue ReadingThis Gulf Coast version is from Veracruz, but similar seafood pozoles are found along Mexico’s Pacific coasts. Most Mexican seafood stews come with the heads on the shrimp, but if you do not like to serve shrimp this way, leave them off. If, on the other hand, a more intense shrimp taste is desired, save […]
Continue ReadingThe chunky salsa recipe that goes with these tacos makes more than necessary for the tacos, and is a delicious dip for totopos (fried tortilla triangles). I get asked for the recipe every time I serve it. Fresh nopales are abundant in the Bajío and are used to “extend” soups, stews, and taco fillings. Ingredients For the […]
Continue ReadingChilpachole is a specialty of Veracruz, but it is found all over Mexico, especially in Mexico City, where food of every region comes together. It can be made with either shrimp or crabmeat, and the various recipes I have been given for both are remarkably similar, with homemade fish stock and ancho chile being used in […]
Continue ReadingPieces of firm-fleshed fish can be prepared this way, too, perfect for fish tacos. Batter fried shrimp (camarones rebozados) is much lighter and fluffier than breaded fried shrimp (camarones empanizados). A very easy dipping sauce is a mixture of mayonnaise and the adobo sauce from canned chipotle chiles in adobo, but I prefer a generous squeeze of […]
Continue ReadingThis tasty, bracing concoction, one of the signature dishes of Veracruz, is served all over the country. One of the classic Mexican hangover cures, vuelve a la vida seafood cocktail brings back memories of many years ago, when we would take off from Puebla and head for Veracruz on at least three or four long weekends a […]
Continue ReadingMany varieties of clams are to be found in the Sea of Cortez, including the famous chocolates and patas de mula. For this Mexican stuffed clams recipe, we used the large, yellow-shelled botijones, which have a long, firm white foot, although any type of large, hard-shelled clam may be used. Clams should be soaked in […]
Continue Reading