| Copyright (c) 2009 Christine Szalay Kudra | | | | ceviche to other countries' takes on this dish. You may |
| The borders of Mexico include the Atlantic and Pacific | | | | see this dish served with crackers, on a tostada or |
| oceans and the Gulf of Mexico, so there is no | | | | even as the filling for a taco! |
| shortage of sea. This also means that fish and | | | | A La Veracruzana |
| seafood are bountiful and there are a lot of Mexican | | | | The Mexican state of Veracruz has a very long |
| recipes incorporating seafood or fish as an ingredient. | | | | coastline and as you would expect, Veracruz is the |
| Perhaps it surprises you that fish and seafood are an | | | | birthplace of many Mexican seafood recipes and even |
| integral part of Mexican cuisine but the Mexican people | | | | a style called "Veracruzana." This entails cooking fish |
| love to use seafood and fish in their meals. | | | | or seafood in a tomato sauce enlivened with olives, |
| With so many miles of coastline, it is inevitable that the | | | | capers, and chilies. This tangy, spicy complement is |
| bounty of the ocean would become an important part | | | | popular with shrimp and red snapper. There are also |
| of Mexican cuisine and there are a great many | | | | many other seafood dishes and fish dishes making |
| wonderful Mexican fish and seafood recipes to try. If | | | | use of it. |
| you have never sampled any of these dishes for | | | | A La Plancha |
| yourself, prepare for a very special treat indeed. | | | | The "A la Plancha" method is a popular way of |
| Ceviche | | | | cooking fish in Mexico. This is a culinary technique, |
| One of the many Mexican seafood recipes, which | | | | which originated in Spain and came to the new world |
| everyone owes it to themselves to try at least once, is | | | | with the conquistadors. A metal plate is placed over an |
| ceviche. This is a dish where seafood (usually shrimp, | | | | open flame and the fish is grilled on this plate, rather |
| octopus or squid, though mackerel and tuna are also | | | | than directly over the heat itself. This is a cooking |
| common) is "cooked" by marinating it in limejuice. | | | | method, which is also often used to grill steak as well |
| Limejuice contains acids, which denature the proteins in | | | | as fish. It allows for a more even distribution of heat |
| the seafood or fish, and this gives a very similar effect | | | | than cooking fish directly on the grill and prevents the |
| to cooking with heat. However, it should be noted that | | | | common problem of having the fish stick to the grill. |
| if other shellfish are served as part of a ceviche that | | | | The information here barely scratches the surface |
| they are commonly cooked beforehand to ensure | | | | when it comes to the topic of seafood in the broader |
| safety. | | | | context of Mexican food. There would not be enough |
| Other than limejuice, Mexican recipes for ceviche often | | | | space to list all the kinds of Mexican fish and seafood |
| include onion, cilantro, and chili peppers, salt and | | | | recipes here because there are so many - which |
| sometimes avocado. Ceviche is a common dish | | | | means that there are a nearly limitless number of |
| throughout central and South America, with each | | | | different dishes to explore, enjoy and of course most |
| country having its own variation on the dish - but a lot | | | | excitingly of all, try your hand at cooking in your own |
| of food connoisseurs prefer the Mexican style of | | | | kitchen! |