Baja Seafood Tacos
At a Glance
- Prep
- 40 minutes
- Cook
- 15 minutes
- Total
- 55 minutes
- Servings
- 12 serving(s)
Categories
- Main Course
- Seafood
- Tacos
- Mexican
- Frying
- Sautéing
- Crab
Allergens
- Fish
- Shellfish
- Wheat
Servings & Nutrition
Original recipe serves 12. Current scale: 1x.
This recipe comes from Mary Nell Reck, a local chef and restaurant owner who, sadly, is no longer with us. She also wrote a weekly cooking lesson for The Houston Post, which also no longer exists! This was from that paper on October 4, 1989.The prep work may seem a little lengthy, but it all goes together quickly once you start!
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Equipment
Knife, cutting board, mixing bowls, 12-inch frying pan, skillet, paper towels
Ingredients
- 8 roma tomatoes
- 1/4 medium red onion
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 red anaheim chili
- 1 green anaheim chili
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 cup salsa
- salt and pepper
- 1 head romaine lettuce (or other leaf lettuce)
- 1 lb red snapper fillet
- 1 lb large shrimp
- 1 lb lump crabmeat
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- salt
- white pepper
- 12 flour tortillas
- vegetable oil, for frying taco shell
Instructions
Finally chop the tomatoes and onion.
Rinse the cilantro, pat dry, and coarsely chop.
Halve the peppers. Remove the seeds and veins and finely chop.
Peel, crush, and finely chop the garlic.
Place all ingredients in a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Stir in the salsa. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Refrigerate until close to serving time.
Thoroughly wash the head of lettuce in a sink full of ice water.
Pat dry and cut into a fine chiffonade. This ribbon-like manner of cutting the lettuce gives the dish a fluffy, light appearance when assembled.
Place the lettuce in a bowl and refrigerate until serving time.
Peel and devein the shrimp.
Check the snapper for bones and remove any you find. Cut into large chunky pieces about 2 inches in diameter.
Check the crab for any cartilage but take care not to break up the delicate pieces.
Heat a little olive oil in a 12 inch frying pan over moderately high flame.
Add the fish pieces and shrimp and sauté about 3 minutes, or until it becomes opaque.
Add the cumin, salt and white pepper to taste, and garlic.
Add the crabmeat and wine and quickly scrape the bottom of the pan.
Remove from the heat, gently stir in the cilantro and peppers, and set aside while frying the tortillas.
Heat a 1 inch depth of oil in a frying pan.
Quickly brown the tortillas one at a time in the hot oil.
Drain on absorbent paper in a warm place.
To assemble the dish, place the crisp tortillas on a platter.
Top with a generous mound of the seafood.
Sprinkle with the chiffonade of lettuce and the tomato salsa.
Garnish the platter with sprigs of cilantro, lime slices, and whole Anaheim peppers.
Serve immediately.
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