Recipes

Bacon Guacamole from Marge Poore

Bacon Guacamole from Marge Poore

Guacamole con Tocino
You just know it's good! While Classic Guacamole is an essential part of Mexican cuisine—as a condiment and as a dip—creative variations like this one, with crisp bacon bits, abound. Serve with tortilla chips.
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Ingredients

Makes 6 appetizer servings

Instructions

  • In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium-low heat until brown and crisp.
  • Drain well on paper towels.
  • When the bacon is cool, crumble it into small bits.
  • In a medium bowl, mash the avocados.
  • Stir in the onion, serranos, cilantro, lime juice, and the reserved bacon bits.
  • Drain off any juice from the tomato to prevent discoloring the guacamole.
  • Gently stir the tomato into the guacamole.
  • Add salt, if needed.
  • (The saltiness of the bacon will determine if more salt is needed.
  • )
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Course; Bacon / Sauce
Cuisine; Mexican

Fried Corn Tortilla Chips and Strips

Fried Corn Tortilla Chips and Strips

Tostaditos o Totopos Crisp-fried tortilla chips are easy to make at home, and they’re better than most commercial chips. I prefer homemade for nachos because the chips are flatter and hold the toppings better. Leftover tortillas that have dried out are ideal for making chips or cutting into thin strips for soups and casseroles containing tortilla strips called chilaquiles.
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Ingredients

Makes 48 chips

Instructions

  • Stack 3 tortillas on a cutting surface.
  • With a large sharp knife, cut straight down through the stack into quarters.
  • If making strips, cut across the tortillas to make strips the width you want for your dish.
  • In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until a wedge or strip of tortilla starts to sizzle immediately when dipped into the hot oil.
  • Fry the tortilla pieces in batches about 2 minutes, or until crisp and lightly browned.
  • Remove with a slotted spoon or tongs, and drain on paper towels.
  • While the chips are still hot, sprinkle lightly with salt, if desired.
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Course; Tortilla
Cuisine; Mexican

Caviar and Serrano Chiles on Crisp Tortilla Rounds

Caviar and Serrano Chiles on Crisp Tortilla Rounds

Tostaditas con Caviar Picanté
My husband and I met Marta and Alfredo Rios during one of our many trips to Mexico, and were invited for dinner in their beautiful home in Satellite City, a suburb of Mexico City. One of the appetizers was ice-cold dark caviar sprinkled with chopped serrano chile and a dab of sour cream on small crisp tortilla rounds. We were amazed. The combination was unforgettable. It may be difficult to find good-quality 2-inch fried tortilla rounds (tostaditas), but it's pretty simple to cut your own from fresh corn tortillas and fry them until crisp. For the caviar, my favorites are beluga or sevruga.
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Ingredients

Makes 6 servings

  • 6 fresh corn tortillas
  • Oil for frying
  • About 2 ounces caviar of choice
  • 2 to 3 serrano chiles seeded, veins removed, and minced
  • ½ cup sour cream

Instructions

  • Lay 1 corn tortilla on a flat surface.
  • Using a round cookie cutter or glass, cut three 21⁄2-inch rounds from the tortilla.
  • Save the scraps to fry for snacks, or discard.
  • Repeat with remaining tortillas.
  • Heat about 1 inch of oil in a skillet.
  • Fry the tortilla rounds until crisp and lightly golden, 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Drain on paper towels.
  • To assemble, put a tiny bit of caviar (¼ teaspoon) on each crisp tostadita.
  • Add a sprinkle of minced serrano and a dab of sour cream.
  • Arrange the tostaditas on a beautiful flat serving plate and serve.
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Course; Appetizer
Cuisine; Mexican

Chopped Crab Appetizer

Chopped Crab Appetizer

Salpicón de Jaiba
A salpicón refers to foods with shredded or chopped ingredients mixed with citrus juices, vinegar, and oil. Blue crab is used for crab salpicón along the gulf coast in the state of Veracruz, and is usually served with a basket of small warm corn tortillas for do-it-yourself soft tacos. I serve crab salpicón as a topping for crisp corn tostadas or chips. Any variety of fresh or thawed frozen crab works well for this appetizer, but canned crab is a poor substitute. Guacamole is an excellent accompaniment.
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Ingredients

Makes 8 appetizer servings

Instructions

  • Drain the crab very well and put into a glass or ceramic bowl.
  • Add the remaining ingredients, and toss to mix.
  • Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.
  • Serve as a topping on crisp corn tostadas or chips.
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Course; Appetizer / Fish
Cuisine; Mexican

Appetizer Fish Balls

Appetizer Fish Balls

Albondigas de Pescado
Fish balls are a popular item to serve as part of a buffet with a dipping sauce such as Spicy Mayonnaise Dip. The fish balls can be kept warm in a chafing dish. The fish mixture is also excellent for fish patties to make tortas (sandwiches), or to serve atop salads.
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Ingredients

Makes about 24 fish balls

Instructions

  • Remove any bones from the fish, cut fish into small pieces, and put in a food processor bowl.
  • Tear the bread into small pieces and add to the processor along with the milk.
  • Pulse 4 to 5 times to combine.
  • Add the onion, salsa, parsley, 1 of the eggs, and salt.
  • Process until smooth.
  • Form the mixture into small balls, about 1 inch in diameter, put on a plate, cover and refrigerate about 1 hour.
  • Beat the remaining egg in a bowl with 1 teaspoon of water.
  • Put the flour and bread crumbs on separate sheets of wax paper.
  • Dredge the fish balls in flour, dip into the beaten egg, and roll in the bread crumbs.
  • Put on a plate and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours.
  • In a deep skillet, or deep-fryer, pour in oil to a depth of about 2 inches.
  • Heat until the oil shimmers and a small piece of bread sizzles at once.
  • Cook the fish balls in batches without crowding, turning once or twice until golden brown all over.
  • Drain on paper towels.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve hot with toothpicks and a dipping sauce.
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Course; Appetizer / Fish
Cuisine; Mexican

Swordfish Bites with Pineapple and Red Bell Pepper

Swordfish Bites with Pineapple and Red Bell Pepper

Pes Espada con Piña y Chile Rojo Dulce
Swordfish is found in temperate and tropical seas throughout much of the world. Along the Pacific coast of Mexico, swordfish is often grilled and served with salsas of various kinds. This recipe grills highly prized and expensive swordfish in small pieces and skewers the cooked fish with pineapple chunks and red bell pepper on cocktail picks. Accompany with a spicy salsa or dipping sauce. To save time, you can use fresh packaged pre-cut pineapple found in supermarkets.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 to 6 appetizer servings

  • Jalapeño-Cilantro Sauce
  • 2 6- to 8-ounce swordfish steaks, 1⁄2- to 3⁄4-inch thick
  • 2 medium garlic cloves minced
  • 1½ tablespoons olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper or to taste
  • 1 medium fresh pineapple about 1½ pounds, rind removed, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks—about 2 cups of pineapple chunks
  • 2 red bell peppers seeded, and cut into 3⁄4-inch squares

Instructions

  • Prepare the salsa.
  • Then, trim the skin from the swordfish, and cut the steaks into 1-inch pieces.
  • Mix together the garlic, oil, salt, and pepper.
  • Coat the fish on all sides with the mixture.
  • Cover and refrigerate about 1 hour.
  • Skewer the pineapple and red pepper on cocktail picks, and put on a plate.
  • Remove the fish from the refrigerator.
  • Heat a stovetop grill pan over medium-high heat until hot and a few drops of water sizzle on the pan.
  • Cook the swordfish chunks, turning, until light brown outside, about 3 to 5 minutes, or until just cooked through.
  • Add the cooked fish to the skewers with the pineapple and peppers.
  • Serve at room temperature with the jalapeño and cilantro salsa on the side.
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Course; Appetizer / Fish
Cuisine; Mexican

Fried Squid

Fried Squid

Calamares Fritos
Fried squid rings are a popular snack in Baja, Mexico. Previously frozen, cleaned squid bodies are available at most fresh seafood counters in the United States so it's easy to fry up a few to serve with drinks before a Mexican meal. I prefer to cut rings from the whole body sections rather than buy precut rings, for better flavor. Spicy Mayonnaise Dip is excellent to serve with this dish that is often referred to in Mexico as calamar in Spanish and by the Italian word calamari in the United States. For tender squid, do not overcook.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

  • 1 pound thawed previously frozen squid bodies
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup fine bread crumbs
  • ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • Lime wedges

Instructions

  • Rinse the squid tail sections, drain, and cut crosswise into 1⁄2- to 1-inch rings.
  • Put the rings in a bowl.
  • In a pie plate, mix together the flour and bread crumbs.
  • In a deep fryer or medium heavy skillet, heat about 1½ inches of oil until it shimmers.
  • Dredge the squid in the flour mixture a few at a time, and fry in hot oil until golden, about 1 minute.
  • Drain on paper towels.
  • Sprinkle lightly with salt.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve hot with lime wedges and a dipping sauce.
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Course; Appetizer / Fish
Cuisine; Mexican

Clams in Red Chili Broth

Clams in Red Chili Broth

Almejas en Salsa de Chili Rojo Small clams sometimes simply called steamers are easy to come by in Baja. This simple red chili broth gives the clams a wonderful taste to serve with bolillos (oval Mexican sandwich rolls) or other rolls to dip in the broth while eating the clams.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • In a large pot heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the garlic and onion 2 minutes.
  • Add the chili powder and cook, stirring, about 30 seconds.
  • Add the clams and all of the remaining ingredients.
  • Cover and cook until the clams open, about 5 minutes.
  • (Discard any that don’t open.
  • )

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve in shallow bowls with the broth.
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Course; Appetizer / Fish
Cuisine; Mexican

Oysters with Garlic and Lime

Oysters with Garlic and Lime

Ostiones con Ajo y Limón
Oysters are plentiful along the coast of Baja, California where they are sometimes prepared on the beach over hot coals. This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy them as an appetizer. An oyster knife should be used to pry open fresh oysters.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • Pry open the oysters over a bowl to catch and reserve the liquid.
  • Place the bottom shells containing the oysters on a baking sheet and set aside.
  • Discard the top shells.
  • Preheat the oven broiler.
  • Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and cook the onion until softened, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and cook about 3 minutes.
  • Stir in the reserved oyster liquid, lime juice, hot pepper sauce, salt, and pepper.
  • Heat through.
  • Remove the pan from the heat.
  • Spoon a little of the mixture over each oyster and broil the oysters until the edges of the oysters begin to curl, 2 to 3 minutes.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve hot.
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Course; Appetizer / Fish
Cuisine; Mexican

Return-to-Life Shellfish Cocktail

Return-to-Life Shellfish Cocktail

Vuelve de la Vida One of the first Veracruz specialties I wanted to try was this famous shellfish cocktail. It is usually served in huge glass goblets packed with crab, shrimp, lobster, oysters, or whatever fresh shellfish is available. The whole thing is mixed with ketchup, citrus juices, onion, and cilantro, and garnished with avocado and lime wedges. The cocktail’s title refers to its fabled ability to ease the after-effects of the night before. It’s outstanding even without a hangover.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

  • 1¼ cups ketchup
  • ¼ medium white onion finely chopped
  • ¼ cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro
  • ¼ cup fresh lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
  • 2 pounds shellfish such as cold cooked shrimp, crab, lobster, or raw clams or oysters, all cut into bite-size pieces
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 large avocado Hass variety preferred, peeled and diced
  • Lime wedges

Instructions

  • In a large bowl mix together the ketchup, onion, cilantro, lime juice, orange juice, and ½ cup water.
  • Add the shellfish and stir to mix.
  • Season to taste with salt.
  • Divide among 4 large fat goblets.
  • Top with diced avocado and garnish with lime wedges.
  • Serve at once, cold.
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Course; Appetizer / Fish
Cuisine; Mexican