Seafood is Mexican cuisine's best kept secret. While Americans eagerly devour chicken, beef and pork dishes, few seem to understand how delicious and important it is in Mexico. With two long coastal regions, it is simple to see that it must play a large part in their cooking.
Mexican cuisine uses a lot of clams, crab, shrimp, oysters, lobster, and fish. Fresh seafood is the order of the day in Mexico. They even have some places that let you buy your own shrimp at the market and then the restaurant will cook it any way you like. While it is hard to find a restaurant near you that will do this, you can still buy your seafood and cook it yourself.
For those foodies out there, you must learn to make ceviche. This fabulous dish uses small pieces of chopped seafood marinated in lime juice, tomatoes, and onions. The juice is just acidic enough to cook the fish lightly. This dish may be made with conch, shrimp, fish, or octopus.
Common seafood used in Mexican recipes includes shrimp (also known as camarones), mahi mahi, tuna, halibut, rock lobster, clams, and shark. It may be that you cannot find all the varieties used in Mexico in your local market. Just ask your fish monger for a suggestion to substitute in the recipe. Keep in mind species that are sustainable.
If you think that it is a passing fancy in Mexican cuisine, think again. Over 1,400,000 tons of it was consumed in 2005 in Mexico. That is a lot of seafood! With the health, benefits of fresh seafood and the other fresh ingredients found in Mexican recipes, we could all do better to add some to our own diets. Choose a few recipes to try out. You will be amazed at the new flavors it takes on when cooked in Mexican cuisine.
Why not experiment with grilled swordfish served with salsa verde, or taste some shrimp fajitas. Use spicy crabmeat in your next tostada or add spice to your meal with shrimp and rice. New, exotic ingredients like chayotes or epazote can add excitement to the meal. Mexican seafood opens up a whole new culinary world. If you want to keep it simple, try shrimp and garlic. It is seasoned with milk, olive oil, and chili powder. Serve it up with some authentic refried beans or rice. Your family will clean their plates in minutes.
You can find lots of
easy Mexican recipes for seafood on the Internet. There are lots of sites that will guide you step-by-step into this fascinating cuisine. Adapt them to the ingredients that you can purchase in your area. It will be fun to explore new ways to work with Mexican spices and other ingredients.
Enjoying Mexican seafood will really spice up your meals. Choose a recipe for a special evening or just to make something new. You will end up with some great recipes that you will want to add to your regular menu. With a little practice, you will learn what spices you will want to keep on hand so you can make a special dinner anytime.
More Information:
Did you ever wonder what the Aztecs used to eat or what the Mayans liked to drink? How did Mexican food become so eclectic, with its wonderful combination of Caribbean, French, Spanish and African culinary influences, among others? You can check out our fascinating
Mexican food history to find out!
Categories
