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Mexican Recipe for Shrimp & Smoked Marlin Ravioli
HOTEL CALIFORNIA SHRIMP AND SMOKED MARLIN OPEN-FACED RAVIOLI
For years, day-trippers coming from Los Cabo to Todos Santos have flocked to the Hotel California, hoping to see “mirrors on the ceilings and pink champagne on ice.” Don Henley burst that bubble a while back when he denied any connection between the Eagles and the hotel. That’s too bad. He should stop by next time he’s down here. Once he tours the grounds and samples the gourmet fare served in La Coronela Restaurant, he just might change his tune. Hotel California’s new owners, John and Debbie Stewart have recreated this former eyesore into an architectural, artistic and culinary masterpiece.
For John, whose previous career was designing restaurants and office buildings, this project was the dream of a lifetime. He indulged his passion for brilliant, bold colors, colonial Mexican architecture and furniture, metal and glass sculptures, exotic plants and art. Truly a celebration of the senses, the Hotel California explodes with purples, reds, hot pinks, oranges, periwinkles, and pulsating shades of green and golden yellows. The old blends gracefully with the new, as original tile floors and 100-year-old beams merge with the best modern Mexico can offer.
T
he
patios, pool and terraces are private and lushly landscaped. Hotel guests
have a choice of 11 luxuriously appointed, wildly imaginative rooms and
suites. They can sit on a balcony overlooking the town and watch the sun
set in the Pacific as the choir sings in the church across the street.
This is a perfect place for weddings, honeymoons or just to get away and
wander along cobble stone streets, exploring Todos Santos’ art galleries,
restaurants and historical buildings. Venture out of town and enjoy some
of the most spectacular surfing beaches on the west coast.
When you visit the hotel, make time for a leisurely
lunch under the pagoda-style palapa at La Coronela Restaurant. Breathe in
the fragrance of tropical flowers; listen to live Mexican music with a
backdrop of softly tinkling fountains. John Stewart lured Chef Dany 
Lamote
away from Calgary, Alberta. Born in Belgium, Dany studied culinary
arts in Brussels. He immigrated to Canada in 1979 and settled in Calgary.
There he was a chef and partner in many successful restaurants, from small
European style bistros and cafes to fine dining establishments. Local
organic ingredients influence his style of cooking. As a passionate
traveler he loves to fuse the cuisines of different cultures in his
recipes. For
15
years he was a culinary instructor teaching in small private schools. Here
in Mexico he draws from Baja California ingredients to create a fresh,
innovative seasonal menu at the Hotel California.
Chef Dany offers this explanation about this unique, popular dish: “The concept of open-faced ravioli is between lasagna and ravioli. The dish is made in a frying pan. The ingredients are stacked and assembled at serving time instead of being baked in the oven. Most of the shrimp comes from the Sea of Cortez as well as the marlin. We smoke the marlin in our Texas smoker, parked outside the restaurant. After having the smoker inside on the patio for ambience and smoking out our customers a few times, we decided that it was a better business practice to move the smoker outside. My preferred wood for smoking is a fruitwood.” Serves four.
16 lasagna pasta sheets
1 tbsp olive oil
16 jumbo shrimp
1 cup white wine
½ lb sliced smoked marlin or smoked salmon
1 cup whipping cream
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook the lasagna sheets according to package direction. Drain and allow to cool off. Rub with olive oil to prevent sticking.
Poach the shrimp in white wine for five minutes or until they turn
white. Add the cream and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper and add the
pasta sheets. Bring to a boil and let the cream thicken a bit.
Stack by alternating the shrimp and pasta. Garnish with the smoked marlin.
Cooking with Baja Magic Dos - Mexican Recipes by Author Ann Hazard
These are featured in Ann Hazard’ book, Cooking With Baja Magic Dos. The 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.
Order Ann Hazard's Books Online from Amazon.com