Fresh Mexico_ 100 Simple Recipes for True Mexican Flavor - Marcela Valladolid [5]
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
Mix the crabmeat, mayonnaise, scallions, 1 tablespoon of the lime juice, ¼ cup of the cilantro, and the hot sauce together in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Mix the panko bread crumbs and ¼ cup of the remaining cilantro on a plate. Divide the crab mixture into 8 equal mounds. Form 1 mound into a ¾-inch-thick patty, and then carefully turn the patty in the crumb mixture to coat it on both sides. Transfer it to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining 7 mounds. Bake the crab cakes for 10 minutes, or until heated through.
Meanwhile, coarsely mash the avocados in a medium bowl. Lightly mix in the onion, remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro, and remaining 1 teaspoon lime juice. Season the guacamole liberally with salt and pepper.
Transfer the crab cakes to a serving platter, top each one with a tablespoon of guacamole, and serve.
SMOKED MARLIN QUESADILLAS
SERVES 6 TO 8
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound smoked marlin, shredded
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
1 small white onion, minced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup canned tomato puree
1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 bay leaf
Hungarian sweet paprika, to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Ten 6-inch corn tortillas
1½ cups shredded Oaxaca cheese or mozzarella cheese
Lime wedges, for serving
Bottled hot sauce, for serving
This is my version of the famous Baja taco gobernador, which is a shrimp-stuffed quesadilla. The marlin adds a distinctive smoked flavor that makes this a very special kind of quesadilla. If you must substitute, you can use canned tuna—just make sure it is well drained, and cook the filling an additional 4 minutes to allow the moisture from the tuna to evaporate.
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the marlin, bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, tomato puree, oregano, and bay leaf. Cook to combine the flavors, about 8 minutes. Season to taste with paprika, salt, and pepper. Remove from the heat.
Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 corn tortillas, side by side, to heat. Place a small mound of cheese on one side of each tortilla. Wait until the cheese melts slightly, about 1 minute, and then add about 2 tablespoons of the marlin mixture to each tortilla (discard the bay leaf). Fold the tortillas over into half-moons and cook to melt the cheese completely, another minute or two. Transfer the quesadillas to a platter and keep warm.
Repeat with the remaining tortillas, cheese, and marlin mixture. Serve with lime wedges and hot sauce on the side.
SALSA MAGGI
Maggi seasoning sauce is a staple in Mexican cooking. There are folks in Mexico who swear we came up with the concoction, but all credit has to be given to the Swiss. The Maggi company became hugely popular in the early 1900s for producing the bouillon cube. Maggi seasoning sauce, or Salsa Maggi, was first intended to be used as a cheap substitute for meat extract, but it is now a staple seasoning in all of Latin America, some of Europe, and Asia. Use it sparingly, as it is packed with flavor. It is similar to soy sauce but contains no soy. I like to use it to flavor ceviches, chicken salads, and soups, or to just squirt a couple of dashes over my scrambled eggs. You can find it in some supermarkets and in most Latin markets.
PEDRO’S OYSTERS ON THE HALF SHELL
* SERVES 4 TO 6
12 fresh oysters, shucked and resting in their bottom shell
¾ cup minced white onion
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons clam-tomato juice (such as Clamato; optional)
4 teaspoons Maggi seasoning sauce (see opposite)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon minced seeded serrano chile
1 teaspoon bottled hot