An important part of the December festivities is undoubtedly the pilgrimage. I made it with mole and dried shrimp pancakes. Some people prefer turkey or turkey legs, which are very popular dishes at these festivals.
material: for 12 people
- 24 small wax potatoes
- salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 10 prickly pear cactus, remove thorns, clean and cut into 1/2 1 cm cubes.
- 450 g chopped and washed rosemary or spinach
- 120 g dried peeled shrimp heads – spare shells and dried heads
- 4 eggs (separated)
- 9 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 1/2 cups red mole paste
Preparation:
1. Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water, and add 2 large pinches of salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, peel, and transfer to a large bowl and set aside. Meanwhile, bring another medium saucepan of water to a boil over high heat, add the baking soda and cactus, and simmer until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain and add to the bowl with the potatoes. In a separate medium saucepan, bring salted water to a boil over high heat, then add the romeritos or spinach and cook until tender, about 2 minutes for the romeritos or 5 seconds for the spinach. Drain, cut and add to the bowl with the potatoes and cacti and set aside.
2. Place reserved shrimp shells and heads and 3 1/2 cups cold water in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Strain the soup into a bowl, discard the shells and heads, and set aside.
3. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the peeled shrimp and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and process until a fine powder forms and set aside. Place the egg whites in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until medium-stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Add the egg yolks and shrimp powder to the egg whites and mix with a rubber spatula until the batter is well mixed. Heat 2 tbsp. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place 4 to 5 heaped tablespoons of the batter in the mold, about 8cm apart, and use a rubber spatula to flatten the mounds into pancakes about 6cm wide. Fry for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side, turning once, until golden brown. Place shrimp cake on paper towels to drain. Repeat this process twice to make 4-5 shrimp cakes at a time, making about 15 shrimp cakes in total. Set aside.
4. Combine the moles and half of the reserved shrimp soup in a blender. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the mole and remaining soup and cook, stirring, until heated through, 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Add the mole to the vegetables in the bowl and mix well. Pour one-third of the mixture into a large clay bowl and arrange half the cake on top. Cover with another third of the mixture, place the remaining cake on top and cover with the remaining mixture. Cover with aluminum foil and let come to room temperature before serving.
