Ranchero Catfish Recipe
Ranchero Catfish
4 farm-raised catfish fillets
1 cup finely crushed tortilla chips
1/2 tsp chile powder
3 tablespoons Mexican lime juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup prepared salsa
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Preheat oven to 450 deg F
Lightly grease a baking sheet
Cut each catfish fillet in half
Rinse in cold water & pat dry with paper towels
Combine crushed tortilla chips & chile powder in a shallow dish
Mix well
Combine lime juice & vegetable oil in another shallow dish
Dip each fillet piece into lime/oil mixture & then immediately into seasoned tortilla chip crumbs to coat
Place on prepared baking sheet
Sprinkle fillets with any remaining crumbs & bake until crisp & golden, about 8 to 10 mins, depending on the size & thickness of the fillets
The catfish should be tender when pierced with a fork in the thickest part
Gently warm salsa
Spoon salsa across the center of catfish fillets
Sprinkle with fresh cilantro, then serve
Serves 4
Oyster Casserole Recipe
Oyster Casserole (Ostiones en Cazuela)
1 pint shucked select or large oysters, drained
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup half-&-half, divided
2 cups cracker crumbs (about 20 crackers)
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
Lime or lemon wedges
Mix oysters & tomatoes; arrange in ungreased 11 x 7-inch baking dish
Pour 1/4 cup of half-&-half over mixture
Mix remaining ingredients except lime or lemon wedges & remaining half-&-half; sprinkle over oysters & tomatoes
Pour remaining half & half over crumb mixture
Bake uncovered at 375 deg F until light brown, about 30 mins
Garnish with lemon wedges
Oaxaca Soup Recipe
Oaxaca Soup
Source: The Junior League of Mexico City, Mexico
10 chile poblanos*, fresh or canned
6 medium potatoes
6 medium tomatoes, peeled
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cooking oil
4 to 6 cups water, as necessary
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons granulated chicken broth
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cups milk
1 pound Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese, diced
If chiles are fresh, first roast them on a hot griddle until the skin blisters & turns brown
Put them into a plastic bag to “sweat” for about 10 mins, then peel, devein & remove the seeds
If canned chiles are used, slit them & remove seeds
Rinse chiles in water & cut into long strips
Peel & cube the potatoes
Puree tomatoes in the blender & pour through a sieve to remove seeds
In a 6-8-quart pan, fry the onion & garlic, potatoes & chile strips in the oil until the onion is soft
Add the pureed tomatoes & cook for 3 to 5 mins
Add the water, salt, broth granules, parsley & baking soda
In a separate pan, bring the milk to a boil, remove any “skin,” & add to the other mixture
Add about one-third of the diced cheese & let it melt
In each individual soup bowl, put about 3 tablespoons diced cheese & pour the piping-hot soup over it
* A dark green pepper, usually mild in flavor
Bell peppers may be substituted, but they are not as good
If used, add 1 tablespoon Tabasco to the soup
This recipe is a little bit of trouble to make, but the results are well worth it
Yield: 6 servings
Que Sabroso!