Cooking with Baja Magic Dos - Mexican Recipes by Author Ann Hazard
 We
are taking a culinary tour of Baja Sur with Ann's latest series of
recipes. This time we are in La Paz for two wonderful new recipes.
These
recipe are featured in Ann Hazard’s newest book, Cooking With Baja
Magic Dos. It is, or will be soon, available throughout Baja and
California. The new cookbook has over 60 new recipes with corresponding
stories and all new art. Whether or not you have Ann’s original cookbook,
you will want a copy of Baja Magic Dos! For more information on Ann and
her Baja books, visit
http://www.bajamagic.com or order her book from Amazon.com on the
right.
Thank you to
Author Ann Hazard from BajaMagic.com for this contribution.
ISLA CERRALVO CINNAMON-CHILE SNAPPER
If you cruise northeast out of La Paz Bay, round the
corner and head south, the first decent-sized island you’ll come to is
Isla Cerralvo. It takes longer to get to than Isla Espiritú Santo (it’s at
least a two hour boat ride in a double engine super panga from La Paz or
from the East Cape) but the diving is spectacular.
The snapper (or huachinango, if you recall, in Spanish) is another one of
those fish I caught lots of off the coast of La Paz during those Easter
Vacations from ages eight to twelve. And Isla Cerralvo was one of the
islands we visited back then.
More Below...
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These are excerpts from Ann's new Cookbook "Cooking with Baja Magic Dos". Full of
tempting recipes from Baja California the book also contains many original
artwork photos by the author and her husband. Available from Amazon.com
this book will make a great gift for your friends and family that love
Baja. You better pick up an extra copy for yourself too!
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This spicy, saucy dish is pure La Paz. More cosmopolitan and sophisticated
than the usual Baja fare, you will find it worthy of any five star
resorts. So, hey, dress up tonight and try this for a dinner party with an
upscale Southern Baja flair. You'll love the unusual flavor of the shrimp.
Served on a bed of rice, it's almost a full meal in itself. Serve with a
chilled Chenin Blanc. Elegant! Serves six.
2 pounds jumbo shrimp
1½ cups white wine
1 cup water
4 tbsp minced garlic
Juice from 5 limónes (Mexican limes) or key limes
2 cups María’s salsa de arból (Salsa section)
8 cups hot cooked rice
Cilantro sprigs and limón wedges for garnish
In large saucepan, cover shrimp with wine and water. Bring mixture to a
boil. Add garlic and lime juice. Cook three to five minutes until shrimp
turn pink. Drain shrimp. Rinse well with cold water. Shell and devein
shrimp. Let rest in a warm oven.
Heat salsa in small saucepan. Serve shrimp on a bed of white rice topped
with heated salsa. Garnish with cilantro and lime slices.
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This is one of my sister’s all-time favorite recipes and
one she pilfered from a restaurant hanging out over the edge of the Sea of
Cortez near Los Barriles. According to Nina, the delicate flavor of
cinnamon and chile complements the fish wonderfully in this recipe. Why do
people love it so? Well — the answer to that one is probably summed up in
one word — taco. Yes, the snapper is seasoned first, grilled and served in
soft tacos with avocado, onion and orange. A real palate pleaser. Serves
six.
1 tbsp American chili powder
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground pepper
1½ tsp salt
½ tsp oregano
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
6 tbsp minced garlic
¼ cup orange juice
1 tbsp grapefruit juice
6 red snapper fillets, about 3 pounds
1 tbsp olive oil
12 corn tortillas
2 avocados, sliced
1 onion, minced
1 tomato, diced
1 orange, membrane removed and diced
Blend chili powder, spices and orange and grapefruit juices until a smooth
paste is made. Spread paste over the fillets, top and bottom and set them
aside to season overnight.
Brush the fillets with oil and barbecue for ten minutes on a side over the
grill. Serve with hot tortillas and allow guests to make soft tacos with
avocado, onion, tomato and orange.
ISLA ESPIRTÚ SANTO PRAWNS WITH SALSA
Directly northeast of La Paz is a large island with at
least 12 separate, pristine, uninhabited bays. When I saw them from the
airplane on a long ago flight south, I counted. Twelve — and I only
counted the big ones on the west side. This island, named after the Holy
Spirit, is famous with divers all over the world. You can catch a dive
ship from downtown La Paz, or at any of the local hotels. You can pick
your bay. Or you can dive or snorkel with the sea lions that live just
north of Espiritú Santo at Isla Partida.
Whether you’re a diver, a snorkeler, an avid fisher person or just a Baja
cruiser, Isla Espiritú Santo is a must-see. We visited many of its bays on
our first foray into La Paz Bay when I was eight. They still offer up the
amazing undersea life and equally amazing shell hunting on land that they
did over 40 years ago!
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PALAPA AZUL’S STUFFED CLAMS
ON THE GRILL
The Palapa Azul is one of three restaurants at the end of
the paved road on Tecolote Beach. To the north is an expanse of pale jade
green and aquamarine water, merging with the darker blue water as one’s
eyes edge out toward Espiritú Santo Island. It’s quiet there, unless the
restaurant’s generator is running so that the stereo can play Mexican
country music. The restaurant is built into and around an old wooden
fishing boat. The palm-thatched palapa roof leans off it and angles down
toward the sea. All tables and chairs are planted right on the sand. You
can take a swim and eat lunch in your wet bathing suit. You can catch a
boat ride to the island and snorkel, dive or visit with the sea lions. And
eat lunch when you get back. If you catch a fish while you’re out, they’ll
cook it right up for you.
When we visited back in 1997, Nina and I swam in the 85° water. Then we
ordered lunch. Nina had this dish and our waiter Ramón shared the recipe
with us. We’re glad he did, because she swears it’s way better than the
stuffed clams she’s had in much fancier restaurants in other parts of Baja
— places where you have to wear shoes and that sort of thing!
These clams are served inside the shell, so you’ll have to find a seafood
market that sells them that way. Or else visit San Quintín, a few hours
south of Ensenada and go clamming yourself. Or you could go to La Paz and
dig them out of the bay there. Or — the fish market! Whatever works for
you! Just try it. It’s a true Baja Lover’s delight. Serves four.
16 chocolate or queen clams in their shells (about the size of your palm)
4 tbsp butter
6 - 12 fresh jalapeños, finely diced (with or without seeds depending on
spiciness desired)
2 cups cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
2 large white onions, finely diced
2 large tomatoes, finely diced
1 tsp garlic powder
2 limónes (Mexican limes) or key limes, quartered
1 cup ham, finely diced
Salt and pepper to taste
Remove the clams from their shells and dice into small pieces. Mix
together in bowl with jalapeños, cheese, onion, tomatoes, garlic powder,
lime juice and ham. Add salt and pepper to taste and scoop back into each
of the 16 clamshells. Wrap each shell in aluminum foil and place over hot
coals on the grill. Cook four minutes on each side.
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