Salsa Pico de Gallo

Molcajetes are a type of mortar (molcajete) and pestle (tejolote) made from basalt.  Use of the molcajete in Mesoamerica dates back 6,000 years and remains ubiquitous in Mexican cooking today. Molcajetes are versatile tools;  they can be used to grind chiles, herbs, and spices, thereby releasing essential oils and flavors.  Because they are made from volcanic rock, they may be heated and used to serve stews, meats and other foods that taste better at higher temperatures.  They also function as attractive serving pieces for guacamole and salsas.

Pico de gallo, for instance, is a quick salsa that can be found on nearly every Mexican table at mealtimes, whether breakfast, lunch or dinner.   (La Madrina recalls that preparing it was the first duty she was given as a child.)  It's simple, fresh and zesty and the perfect accompaniment to a variety of Mexican dishes.

Pico de Gallo

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Recipe Type: Salsa

Author: Gilda V. Carbonaro

Prep time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 3 firm, large tomatoes, chopped small, into cubes


• 1 regular-sized white onion, minced


• 1 serrano pepper, minced


• 5 or 6 sprigs of cilantro, roughly chopped


• salt to taste
• 
  

Instructions:

1. Grind the minced serrano pepper into the molcajete.


2. Add the chopped ingredients: tomato, onion, and cilantro to the molcajete, add salt to taste and stir.

Notes

Add or diminish the amount of serrano pepper, as you prefer. Or use another type of pepper, like jalapeño if you can't find serrano.

Taking Tacos to a New Level

The idea of a taco, even a shrimp taco may not conjure up Mexican haute cuisine, but recently, at the Hacienda de Guadalupe in San Miguel de Allende, my husband and I were treated to a regal plate of shrimp tacos.

Tostadas de Camarón

The evening had started out a bit disappointingly. We had expected to meet a friend at the busy, noisy and well-known hang-out next door to the Hacienda de Guadalupe. Getting an earful of the clamor within, we instinctively ran for the door, away from the noise. But we were hungry and didn't want to walk far to look for a quiet place to eat.

Just one doorway away, at the Hacienda de Guadalupe, we found ourselves lured into this combination boutique hotel/restaurant, an eclectic but somehow congruent mix of twenty-fifth century modern and seventeenth century colonial design. The ambiance, in fact, is very peaceful and inviting. On the menu, we ordered the shrimp tacos. But...if you are thinking of pedestrian tacos, plain old tacos de la calle, forget it. What came was something that was arranged on the plate with an artistry that brought Asian fusion cuisine to mind. Chef Montserrat had turned plain old street food into an art form.

The way I've made them at home is without folding the tortilla when I fry it and I've made it with blue tortillas, but, naturally, it can be made with regular tortillas as well. So, my version, should be called:

Tostadas de Camarón

Ingredients:
15 raw medium-sized shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 tablespoons flour, approximately
salt to taste
½ cup canola or grapeseed oil for frying tortillas
½ cup canola or grapeseed oil for cooking the powdered shrimp
freshly ground red pepper (I use Drogheria Alimentari that you grind from the bottle)
1 package good quality corn tortillas
6 -7 limes cut in half

For the pico de gallo sauce:
2 large tomatos, chopped finely
1 large yellow onion, chopped finely
1 serrano pepper, minced finely
1 cup cilantro chopped roughly
1 teaspoon salt, preferably rock salt

Preparation:

Combine the ingredients of the pico de gallo ahead of time and set aside in the refrigerator, but not more than a few hours ahead of time.

Fry the tortillas in a pan with the hot oil. Turn them on both sides until they are crispy. Set aside on paper towels.

Place the flour on a plate and dust the shrimp on all sides. It should not look like a heavy breading. Add salt and a few grindings of red pepper.

Cook the shrimp on a pan with low sides on medium heat. When the shrimp is cooked, looking a golden color on all sides (about five minutes), place on paper toweling.

Just before serving, arrange the cooked shrimp on the tostada and top with the pico de gallo. The lime should be squeezed over the tostada just before the first bite.

Note: Shrimp come in different sizes, and the large ones are delectable, but if you use them, you should chop them before breading and cooking them, just so they can be eaten easily on your tostada.