Cinco De Mayo Recipes!

ZACHARYS & AURA 

East Meadow Shopping Center

www.zacharysandaura.com (516) 794-9770

Will you be celebrating Cinco de Mayo this weekend? Here are some quick and easy recipes to ensure your fiesta is a huge success!

Recipe: Baja Fish Tacos

Beer Batter:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup dark Mexican beer*

Cream Sauce:

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2/3 cup Mexican crema** or sour cream
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons water
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fish Tacos:

• Oil, for frying
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
• 2 pounds skinned halibut cut into 5 by 1/2-inch strips
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Corn tortillas
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 2 cups tomatillo salsa (store-bought or homemade) for garnish, optional
• Pickled jalapenos, for garnish, optional

Directions

For the Beer Batter:

Mix the flour, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Gradually add in the beer while whisking. Set aside and let the batter rest for 15 minutes before using.

For Cream Sauce:

Add the mayonnaise and crema to a medium bowl. Whisk in the lemon zest, lemon juice and water. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper (can be made 3 days ahead, covered and refrigerated).

For the Fish:

In a large skillet, over medium heat, add enough oil to reach a depth of 1-inch. Heat the oil until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F or when the end of a wooden spoon sizzles when inserted into the oil.

On a large plate, combine the flour and salt. Season the fish pieces all over with salt and pepper and coat with the flour. Working in batches, dip the fillets in the beer batter and coat on both sides. Fry in the hot oil until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Make tacos with the tortillas and fish and top each with cream, shredded cabbage, tomatillo salsa and pickled jalapenos, if desired.

Recipe: Chicken Enchiladas

• 9 tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 1/2 medium white onion
• 1 serrano chile
• 1 yellow chile (guero)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 6 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 2 store-bought rotisserie chicken breasts, skinned and shredded (to yield 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Put the tomatillos, onion, serrano, yellow chile and 3/4 cup water in a medium, heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover and boil until the tomatillos turn olive-green color, about 10 minutes. Transfer the tomatillos, onion and chiles to a blender. Add the garlic and cilantro and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the tortillas until golden but still pliable, about 10 seconds per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Put the tortillas on a work surface. Divide the shredded chicken evenly among the tortillas and roll up each like a cigar. Spread 1/3 cup sauce in a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish. Arrange the enchiladas, seam-side down, in one layer snugly inside the dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas.

Drizzle with the Mexican crema and sprinkle the cheese all over. Bake until the cheese melts and starts to brown in spots, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Recipe: Classic Tortilla Soup

Soup:

• 4 large plum tomatoes
• 1 small white onion or a 1-inch-thick slice of a large white onion, peeled
• 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 1 medium dried New Mexico chile, stemmed, seeded, and torn into large pieces
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 corn tortillas, torn into 1-inch pieces
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tortilla strips:

• 6 corn tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch wide strips
• Vegetable oil, for shallow frying
• 6 to 8 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, optional for garnish
• Mexican sour cream or regular sour cream, for serving
• 2 avocados, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes or slices
• 1 queso fresco or mild feta cheese, crumbled

Directions:

Soup: Heat a heavy saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes, peeled onion, and unpeeled garlic cloves. Roast, turning frequently, until the garlic is soft, about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic when soft, but slightly blackened. Peel the garlic and set aside. Add the chile and continue to cook for another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove the onion and set aside. Continue to cook the tomatoes until charred and blackened, another 5 minutes. Put the garlic, chile, onion, tomatoes, tortillas, and 2 cups chicken broth in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a large saucepan and add the remaining 4 cups chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Tortilla strips: In a medium, heavy skillet, pour enough oil to reach a depth of 1/2 an inch. Heat over medium-high heat until very hot, but not smoking. Add the tortilla strips in batches and fry until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

To serve, ladle the soup into 6 individual serving bowls. Serve whole chipotle chiles, Mexican sour cream, avocados, cheese, and tortilla strips on the side.