Coctél De Mariscos
What Mexicans call a cóctel de mariscos is similar to what most Americans think of as a mixed seafood cocktail. Every port city of Mexico, even inland Mexico City, offers them (look for a sign advertising mariscos or shellfish). Mexico has some of the freshest seafood in the world, and definitely some of the spiciest. Look for stands where you can smell the ocean and see the seafood without a blanket of sauce so you can judge freshness by color and aroma. The classic accompaniment is crispy tortilla rounds—either chipotle or corn-flavored (usually found next to the tortilla chips in a Mexican market; saltine crackers are another option). You need the crunchy texture of the fried tortilla against the softer, juicier texture of the seafood—so this works great in a crispy taco shell as I’ve done here.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 8 tacos
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
In the jar of a blender, combine 1 cup of the lime juice, water, chile, cilantro, garlic, and 1/8 teaspoon sea salt, and puree. Strain through a medium-mesh sieve. Put the diced snapper in a bowl, pour over the lime-chile marinade, and marinate for 20 minutes.
Step 2
In a pot of boiling water, add a big pinch of sea salt and blanch the calamari and scallops for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and scoop out of the water with a slotted spoon. Cut the calamari into 1/8-inch-thick rings. Cut the scallops into 1/4-inch dice. Set both aside in a bowl.
Step 3
In a large bowl, stir together the ketchup, Tabasco, Worcestershire, remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, celery salt, and oil. Drain the snapper well and add to the ketchup mixture along with the oysters, crabmeat, calamari, scallops, and chives and toss well to coat with the sauce. The mixture will hold up to 1 day in the refrigerator. If you make it ahead, prepare the ketchup sauce without the lime juice, which is added just before serving.
Step 4
To serve, place some shredded lettuce in each crispy shell, divide the filling equally between them, top with garnish, and arrange in a taco holder. Or, lean the filled shells in a row, propped upright, on a platter. Eat right away. To build your own, place some shredded lettuce, then filling, in a crispy shell, top with garnish, and eat right away.
