Bordering on the Pacific and Atlantic seas, like the United States does, Mexico has a thriving fishing industry. This in turn means that seafood and fish is plentiful and indeed many Mexican food recipe use fish and seafood. You might not have thought about using fish in Mexican recipes but the Mexicans love the fruits of the sea and seafood features in lots of Mexican meals.
There are many different Mexican seafood recipes you can make, all of which are delicious. It is obvious that seafood and fish would become important in Mexican cuisine because there are so many miles of coastline and seafood recipes to try. If you have never sampled any of these dishes for yourself, prepare for a very special treat indeed.
Ceviche
One of the many Mexican seafood recipes, which everyone owes it to themselves to try at least once, is ceviche. This is a dish where seafood (usually shrimp, octopus or squid, though mackerel and tuna are also common) is "cooked" by marinating it in limejuice. Limejuice contains acids, which denature the proteins in the seafood or fish, and this gives a very similar effect to cooking with heat. However, it should be noted that if other shellfish are served as part of a ceviche that they are commonly cooked beforehand to ensure safety.
Other than limejuice, Mexican recipes for ceviche often include onion, cilantro, and chili peppers, salt and sometimes avocado. Ceviche is a common dish throughout central and South America, with each country having its own variation on the dish - but a lot of food connoisseurs prefer the Mexican style of ceviche to other countries' takes on this dish. You may see this dish served with crackers, on a tostada or even as the filling for a taco!
A La Veracruzana
The Mexican state of Veracruz has a very long coastline and as you would expect, Veracruz is the birthplace of many Mexican seafood recipes and even a style called "Veracruzana." This entails cooking fish or seafood in a tomato sauce enlivened with olives, capers, and chilies. This tangy, spicy complement is popular with shrimp and red snapper. There are also many other seafood dishes and fish dishes making use of it.
A La Plancha
The "A la Plancha" method is a popular way of cooking fish in Mexico. This is a culinary technique, which originated in Spain and came to the new world with the conquistadors. A metal plate is placed over an open flame and the fish is grilled on this plate, rather than directly over the heat itself. This is a cooking method, which is also often used to grill steak as well as fish. It allows for a more even distribution of heat than cooking fish directly on the grill and prevents the common problem of having the fish stick to the grill.
This information is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to fish and seafood in Mexican food recipes. There would not be enough space to list all the kinds of Mexican fish and seafood recipes here because there are so many - which means you can make literally hundreds of different recipes in your own kitchen and have great fun doing so!
Copyright (c) 2009 Christine Szalay Kudra
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As the mom of four boys great food is a way of life and lots of it. So, what do you get if you combine the freshest produce with the best fish, meat or poultry and a clever combination of herbs and spices? Answer: Mexican recipes and if you have never tasted authentic Mexican recipes you have not lived! Traditional Mexican food is both healthy and easy to make, even for beginners! For more info and recipes visit: http://www.MexicanFoodRecipes.org
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Article added to SearchWarp.com on 9/15/2009 4:10:01 PM. View other articles written byChristine Szalay Kudra(212)
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