Tortitas de Camarón con Nopales (Mexican Dried Shrimp Patties with Red Chile Sauce and Cactus)
User Reviews
5
Tortitas de Camarón con Nopales (Mexican Dried Shrimp Patties with Red Chile Sauce and Cactus)
Description
This recipe uses tender cactus paddles cooked with onion, then combined with a sauce made from guajillo chiles blended with garlic and seasoned with oregano and salt. The red chile sauce is carefully strained to remove skins and seeds, creating a smooth, richly colored sauce. The cooked nopales are briefly sautéed with olive oil before adding the chile sauce to simmer and marry the flavors.
The dried shrimp patties are not detailed here but are complemented by the nopales in red chile sauce, forming a traditional combination of textures and tastes: the chewy, savory dried shrimp melds with the tender, slightly crisp nopales and the piquant sauce.
This dish can include cooked shrimp for added heartiness, and the red chile sauce can be made with other dried chiles like New Mexico or California varieties for variation. The sauce is often prepared in advance and stored in the freezer for convenient use in flavorful meals.
Ingredients
- 1 pound cactus paddles cleaned, spines removed, and chopped
- 4 cups water
- ½ white onion
- 8 guajillo chile pods dried
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt
- 1 teaspoon oregano dried
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 egg
- 1 cup dried shrimp powder
- cooking oil for frying
- cilantro
- Shrimp optional, cooked
Instructions
- Place diced cactus in a stock pot with 4 cups of water and onion, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and let nopales cook for approximately 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat, discard onion, drain and rinse nopales with cold water and set them aside.
- Remove stems, seeds, and veins from the chile pods. Place in a colander and rinse well with cool water.
- Add the chiles to a large pot and add enough water so they are just covered. Bring water to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Drain cooked pods and allow time to cool down before blending. Discard water.
- Fill blender with 1/2 cup of water, chile pods, garlic, and salt to taste. Blend until smooth. Add more water, if needed.
- Strain sauce through a fine sieve to remove skins and seeds; discard skins and seeds.
- In a stock pot, add olive oil and lightly cook nopales for about 1 minute and add red chile sauce and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer on low and add oregano and season with salt.
- Using an electric hand mixer beat the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the egg yolks and powder shrimp. Carefully fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites being careful not to mix too much so the egg whites don’t fall.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Take a spoonful of the mixture and place it in the hot oil. While cooking mold into a patty using a wooden spoon. Spoon some of the hot oil on the sides of the patties, to cook evenly.
- Fry until golden brown about 2 to 3 minutes each side, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Change paper towels frequently to absorb excess oil.
- Arrange the Tortitas de Camarón on a serving platter and drizzle with red chile sauce with nopales and serve with cilantro and cooked shrimp, if using.
Notes
- Guajillo chiles provide the red chile sauce, but New Mexico or California chiles may be used as alternatives.
- Homemade red chile sauce can be frozen for future flavorful meals.
- Adding cooked whole shrimp is optional and enhances the heartiness of the dish.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 426 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 426kcal | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | 11g | 4% |
| Protein | 58g | 116% |
| Fat | 18g | 28% |
| Saturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Cholesterol | 1002mg | 334% |
| Sodium | 2251mg | 94% |
| Potassium | 564mg | 12% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 2848IU | 57% |
| Vitamin C | 14mg | 16% |
| Calcium | 494mg | 49% |
| Iron | 7mg | 39% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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