My kids love this enchilada dinner, its simple ingredients, not too complicated steps and the fact that it dosen’t involve rolling and baking its a dinner that can be made very quickly and full of Mexican coastal flavors your family will love.. All I request, if you decide to make it, please make the sauce with fresh tomatoes, makes all the difference. The recipe has few ingredients in comparison so freshness is important.
All I request, if you decide to make this recipe, seafood or vegetarian, please make the sauce with fresh tomatoes, makes a huge difference.
This enchilada is definitely a treat for special occasions, only because as you see on my blog you’ll notice my recipes are veggie heavy and this enchilada has very little veggie. If you are a vegetarian replace the seafood with sweet potato, zucchini, corn or eggplant. If you’re vegan crema can be replaced with coconut cream. Either ways make this recipe you’ll not regret.
SEAFOOD ENCHILADA
SERVES ABOUT 4
- about pound raw medium-large shrimps, use more if you like the enchilada extra stuffed
- ½ pound raw scallops
- 5 flat-leaf cilantro sprigs
- 4-6 medium-small garlic cloves
- 1-2 small bay leaves
- Kosher or sea salt
- 1 ½ pounds fresh ripe tomatoes, I like Roma
- 1 or 2 serrano or jalapeño chiles, stemmed, to your taste
- 1 tablespoon ground ancho chili pepper or any mild chili powder
- 4 scallions (white and light green parts only), coarsely chopped
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon avocado or any neutral oil you use
- ½ cup Mexican crema or heavy cream or coconut cream
- 8 medium corn tortillas
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- For garnish
- 4 spring onions (white and light green parts only), thinly sliced
- 1 ripe Hass avocado, halved, pitted, flesh scooped out and sliced
- 1-2 ounces queso fresco, feta or cojita crumbled
1. Remove the shells and tails from the shrimp and reserve. Rinse the shrimp and pat dry. Cut each one into 3 or 4 bite-size pieces or leave whole if you prefer.
2. Combine the shrimp shells and tails, cilantro, 1 clove of garlic, the bay leaf in a sauce pan. Cover with one cup of water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain the broth into a bowl.
3. Combine the chopped tomatoes, the remaining garlic cloves, and chilies in a high speed blender, taste the finished puree, decide if you want more heat, add ½-1 additional chilli, ½ teaspoon salt, the nutmeg, and 1 cup of the shrimp broth and puree until completely smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
4. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to the pan and heat over medium heat until warm. Add the tomato sauce from the blender, (be careful of the splatters), cover partially and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
5. Uncover and stir in the cream. Keep it on a low simmer for an additional 8 minutes, until the sauce is thick and creamy and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
6.Warm the tortillas.
6. To cook the shrimp and scallops, we need to sear the seafood. Heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the seafood, season with salt, and cook for 2-4 minutes, stirring and flipping a few times, until lightly browned and cooked through, this happens really fast. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a large plate.
7. Reheat the sauce if needed. Glide one of the tortillas through the sauce and place on a plate. Place a few pieces of the shrimp across the tortilla and fold in half, like a quesadilla. Place on a platter and continue with the remaining tortillas and shrimp, overlapping the enchiladas slightly.
8. Once all of the enchiladas are filled, spoon the remaining tomato sauce on top. These enchiladas should be sauced generously. Garnish with the chopped green onions, avocado slices, and cheese and serve.
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