Recipes

Shrimp Cakes with Corn Salsa

Shrimp Cakes with Corn Salsa

Tortas de Camarones con Salsa de Elote
Chapuline, a stylish and popular restaurant in Oaxaca prepares a number of dishes in the new style, called nueva cocina, using traditional ingredients and presenting them in an updated way. This is my interpretation of the memorable appetizer shrimp cakes I had there.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

  • ½ pound medium shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 2 tablespoons minced white onion
  • 1 tablespoon minced red bell pepper
  • 1 serrano chile finely chopped with seeds
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 large egg beaten
  • ½ cup unseasoned bread crumbs
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Fresh Corn Salsa
  • ½ cup Mexican crema or sour cream

Instructions

  • Coarsely chop the raw shrimp and put them in a bowl.
  • Mix in the onion, red pepper, serrano, and cumin.
  • Add the egg, bread crumbs, lime juice, and salt.
  • Mix well and form into 8 (2-inch) patties about 3⁄4-inch thick.
  • Put the patties on an oiled platter, and refrigerate about 1 hour, or up to 6 hours before cooking.
  • In a large skillet, heat the oil until it shimmers, and cook the patties over medium heat until crisp and brown, about 3 minutes.
  • Turn the patties, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until completely cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Put 2 patties on each of 4 plates.
  • Put a dollop of crema or sour cream on top of the patties.
  • Put about 2 tablespoons of corn salsa on the side of each serving.
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Course; Appetizer / Cake / Fish
Cuisine; Mexican

Shrimp Pinwheel with Jalapeño and Cilantro Sauce

Shrimp Pinwheel with Jalapeño and Cilantro Sauce

Camarones Frio con Salsa de Jalapeño y Cilantro
Daiquiri Dick's—its real name—a beach-front restaurant in Puerto Vallarta, has long been a popular local gathering place to view spectacular sunsets while enjoying a margarita, cocktail, or other "sundowner." This cold shrimp dish is a great appetizer to share while gazing out at the horizon (or enjoying a summer night on the patio). The pink shrimp and pale green dipping sauce make a pretty picture, too.
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Equipment

  • medium skillet

Ingredients

Makes 3 to 4 appetizer servings

  • 16 large shrimp in the shell
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Jalapeño-Cilantro Sauce

Instructions

  • In a medium skillet with a cover bring to a boil about 3 cups of water.
  • Add the shrimp and salt.
  • Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the shrimp are pink and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
  • Drain the shrimp under cold running water.
  • Peel and devein them, leaving the tail intact.
  • Put the shrimp in a bowl, cover and refrigerate.
  • While the shrimp cool, prepare the jalapeño sauce.
  • In a shallow 8-inch round soup plate with a rim, place an attractive smaller bowl that will fit in the center.
  • Arrange the shrimp around the outside of the smaller bowl so they are touching in a tight circle, with the tails resting on the rim of the bowl.
  • Fill the small bowl with dipping sauce.
  • Refrigerate.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve cold.
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Course; Appetizer / Fish
Cuisine; Mexican

Shrimp Fritters

Shrimp Fritters

Tortitas de Camarones
This is an updated version of a recipe made with dried shrimp that's often served during Lent in the states of Chiapas and Oaxaca. Dried shrimp has a strong taste that many people don't like, so I use fresh, cooked shrimp.
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Ingredients

Makes 12 to 16 small appetizers

  • 1 to 1½ cups Fresh Salsa Mexicana or purchased salsa
  • ½ pound 36 to 40 small cooked shrimp, coarsely chopped
  • 1 small jalapeño chile seeded, veins removed, and minced
  • 2 large eggs separated
  • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup flour plus 1 teaspoon to dust the shrimp
  • Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

  • Prepare the salsa, if using homemade.
  • Then, put the chopped shrimp and jalapeño in a bowl and mix together.
  • In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with cream of tartar and salt until soft peaks form.
  • In another small bowl, using the same beaters, beat the egg yolks until thick and pale.
  • Gradually beat in the ¼ cup of flour.
  • Fold the egg yolk mixture into the beaten egg whites.
  • To the bowl with the shrimp add the remaining teaspoon of flour and toss to coat shrimp with flour.
  • Fold the shrimp into the egg batter.
  • Pour oil to a depth of about ½ inch into a heavy frying pan, such as cast iron, and heat over medium-high heat until a tiny drop of batter sizzles immediately when put into the hot oil.
  • Fry the battered shrimp by heaping tablespoons, turning once, until golden brown on both sides.
  • Drain on paper towels.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve at once with salsa for dipping.
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Course; Appetizer / Fish
Cuisine; Mexican

Fried Shrimp in Beer Batter

Fried Shrimp in Beer Batter

Camarones Capeados
Restaurants, fast-food places, and food stalls in the fish markets in Baja all feature shrimp in many ways, and batter-fried shrimp is popular. Serve the shrimp with salsa, if you like.
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Ingredients

Makes 6 appetizer servings

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, mix the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder.
  • Add the beer and Tabasco.
  • Whisk well until smooth.
  • Set aside at room temperature about 1 hour.
  • In a medium saucepan, or deep-fryer, add oil to a depth of about 4 inches and heat until a drop of batter sizzles at once.
  • Coat shrimp with batter.
  • Using tongs, put shrimp into the hot fat and fry in batches until golden brown and crisp.
  • Drain on paper towels and serve at once.
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Course; Appetizer / Fish
Cuisine; Mexican

Shrimp, Puerto Vallarta Style

Shrimp, Puerto Vallarta Style

Camarones Vallarta For consecutive years, I arranged a special week for cooks in Puerto Vallarta. We stayed in beautiful seaside villas, and cooked, dined out, shopped, and lazed in the sun. During one of our cooking sessions, this shrimp dish evolved.
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Equipment

  • toothpicks
  • small skillet

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat, and cook the shrimp, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt, stirring, until the shrimp are pink, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Remove the shrimp to a bowl, cover and refrigerate.
  • Reserve the skillet for the sauce.
  • In a small skillet, heat the vinegar until warm.
  • Cut or tear the ancho chiles into pieces and soak in the vinegar until soft, about 20 minutes.
  • Remove the anchos then put them in a blender with the oregano, onion, sugar, and hot tap water.
  • Discard the vinegar.
  • Blend to a smooth purée.
  • Heat the same skillet used for cooking the shrimp, and cook the puréed chile mixture, stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
  • Transfer to a bowl and cool.
  • To serve, pool the sauce on a serving plate.
  • Arrange the shrimp in an overlapping pattern on the sauce.
  • Scatter cilantro on top.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve as an appetizer with toothpicks.
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Course; Appetizer / Fish
Cuisine; Mexican

Shrimp Salpicón

Shrimp Salpicón

A salpicón is made of ingredients that are diced or chopped into small pieces and mixed with a dressing or sauce. Serve this shrimp salpicón on crisp corn tortilla chips, or use as a filling for soft tacos. I also toss the salpicón with baby greens and a little olive oil for a new style salad.
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Ingredients

Makes 8 to 10 appetizer servings

Instructions

  • Cook the shrimp in boiling water to cover until pink and curled, about 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Drain and cool under running water.
  • Chop the shrimp into 1⁄4-inch pieces.
  • Put them in a medium glass or stainless steel bowl.
  • Dice the roasted poblano chiles into 1⁄4-inch pieces and put them in the bowl with the shrimp.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and toss well to mix.
  • Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.
  • Serve.
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Course; Appetizer / Fish
Cuisine; Mexican

Chilled Shrimp in Cilantro Salsa

Chilled Shrimp in Cilantro Salsa

Camarones Frio en Salsa de Cilantro Cold shrimp presented with a lively salsa makes for a simple but crowd-pleasing appetizer.
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Ingredients

Makes 6 as an appetizer

  • 1 pound medium shrimp peeled and deveined (18 to 22)
  • 1 serrano chile stemmed, veins removed, and chopped with seeds
  • 1 small garlic clove thinly sliced
  • 1 green onion chopped
  • ½ cup lightly packed fresh cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste

Instructions

  • In a large saucepan, bring to a boil about 2 quarts of water.
  • Add the shrimp, reduce heat to low, and cook the shrimp until pink and curled, about 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Drain the shrimp under cold running water and put them in a large bowl.
  • In a blender, purée as smooth as possible the serrano, garlic, onion, cilantro, vinegar, and oil.
  • Season with salt.
  • Put about 2 tablespoons sauce in the bowl with the shrimp.
  • Toss well to coat.
  • Arrange the shrimp on a serving platter in even rows.
  • Put the remaining sauce in a small bowl for dipping.
  • Serve the shrimp with cocktail picks and the remaining sauce.
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Course; Appetizer / Fish
Cuisine; Mexican

Shredded Shrimp Appetizer

Shredded Shrimp Appetizer

Antojito de Camaron Deshebrado
Mazatlán, on the Pacific coast, attracts many tourists. The busy harbor is home to lots of shrimp boats and the restaurants reflect the abundance. At El Shrimp Bucket (a name anyone can understand), a festive place, shrimp is offered in just about every possible way, such as this tasty mixture to eat with chips or to roll up in a warm corn tortilla.
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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium white onion finely chopped
  • 1 medium garlic clove finely chopped
  • 2 medium tomatoes chopped
  • ¾ pound medium shrimp peeled, deveined, and very finely chopped (14 to 18)
  • 3 jarred pickled jalapeño chiles en escabeche, seeded and finely chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • Lime wedges
  • warmed corn tortillas or tortilla chips

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a medium skillet and cook the onion until softened, about 3 minutes Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
  • Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently, until the juices are reduced and the mixture is nearly dry, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add the chopped shrimp, jalapeños, and salt.
  • Cook until shrimp pieces are pink, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over the shrimp when eaten with tortilla chips or soft, warm tortillas.
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Course; Appetizer / Fish
Cuisine; Mexican

Shrimp Ceviche

Shrimp Ceviche

Ceviche de CamaroneTraditionally, ceviche is "cooked" by the chemical action of the lime juice. (See Marinated Fish Cocktail.) Instead, for this ceviche the shrimp is briefly cooked in boiling water before marinating. People who are put off by the idea of eating raw fish like this method very much. Marinate the ceviche for 3 to 4 hours before serving.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 to 6 servings

  • 1 pound 16 to 20 large shrimp , peeled and deveined
  • 1 medium tomato chopped
  • ¼ medium white onion finely chopped
  • 1 jarred pickled jalapeño chile en escabeche, seeded and chopped
  • ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
  • ¼ cup fresh lime juice
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper or to taste
  • 1 large avocado Hass variety preferred, cut into 1⁄2-inch dice
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil

Instructions

  • Bring a medium pan of water to a boil.
  • Cut the shrimp crosswise into thirds.
  • Drop the shrimp into the boiling water until they just turn pink, about 45 seconds.
  • Drain immediately and cool under running water.
  • Put the shrimp in a glass or stainless steel bowl.
  • Add the tomato, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper.
  • Stir.
  • Cover and refrigerate 3 to 4 hours.
  • Shortly before serving, gently stir in the avocado and olive oil.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve in small bowls, or cocktail glasses.
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Course; Appetizer / Fish
Cuisine; Mexican

Marinated Fish Cocktail

Marinated Fish Cocktail

Ceviche, while not originally of Mexican origin, is a classic spicy marinated fish cocktail found all along Mexico’s extensive coastlines. The dish consists of raw fish marinated in fresh lime juice, which “cooks” the fish by the chemical action of the acid in the lime juice. The ice-cold marinated fish is then mixed with the other ingredients to complete the dish. Only absolutely fresh fish should be used for ceviche. Red snapper, rock cod, and sea bass are typical choices, as well as scallops, because they are firm fish that keep their texture.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • rim the fish of skin and fat.
  • Remove all bones, and cut the fish into 1⁄2-inch pieces.
  • Put the fish in a glass bowl or jar.
  • Stir in the lime juice.
  • Cover and refrigerate until the fish becomes firm and opaque, about 2 hours.
  • Drain the fish and transfer to a medium bowl.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and stir gently to mix.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve cold.
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Course; Fish
Cuisine; Mexican