CEVICHE DE CORVINA
Cut the fish into bite-size pieces and place in a glass bowl or container of at least 2 inches high. Add all the other ingredients, mixing well. The lemon juice should cover the fish. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Allow one day for fish to cook in the lemon juice and onions. Serve with crackers or saltines.
This is one of my favorite recipes, try it, it's really good!
Drain all the liquid from the ceviche. Add all ingredients and mix well. Correct curry if necessary, depending on taste. Let rest at least one hour in the refrigerator and serve with "canastitas" or crackers.
** Culantro is an herb belonging to the cilantro family. It is a long green leaf with a strong flavor and aroma. If you cannot find it in your local grocer, you can use cilantro instead.
2 lbs. fillets of Corvina (or other white fish), boned and cut in 2-inch pieces
Season the fish with the garlic salt, paprika, white pepper and curry powder. Dip the pieces in the flour and fry them in hot oil until lightly browned. Drain and place in a glass bowl or pyrex dish.
Take the fish out of the oil and add the garlic, pepper and onion slices and cook from 3 to 5 minutes. Place the vegetables in a bowl and add the vinegar, water,salt,bay leaf and paprika. Mix well. Pour this mixture over the fish and let cool. Cover with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Serve cold.
CEVICHE DE POLLO
(Chicken Ceviche)
3 lbs. chicken breasts
Place the chicken breast on a pot, cover with water and add the sliced onion, 1 tsp. salt and a dash of white pepper.
If you like you can also add some chopped cilantro leaves. Let cook until the chicken breasts are done. Let cool in the liquid.
Take the skin off the chicken breasts and also take out the bones. Cut the chicken meat into small cubes. Place in a large bowl or jar.
Now add all the other ingredients on the list and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, add some cayenne pepper to taste too.
In Latin America we prepare a lot of spicy dishes and this is supposed to be somewhat hot, but if you don't like pepper you can omit it.
Also add some chopped cilantro leaves, if you like. Let this marinate overnight in the fridge and serve cold with crackers. This makes a very nice hors d'oeuvre.
CEVICHE DE GARBANZOS(Chickpea "Ceviche")
3 cans garbanzo beans
Mix all ingredients in a large jar or glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand in the refrigerator overnight. Serve cold as an hors d'oeuvre with saltine crackers.
In Panama, we serve all kinds of ceviche in little pastry cups called "canastitas" or "little baskets". They are made of short pastry dough and baked in very small individual quiche molds or mini tart molds of 1 inch diameter. Here we can buy them everywhere and they are usually sold by packs of 24. For parties we order by hundreds. If you live near a bakery shop you can maybe get them to prepare them specially for you. CARIMAÑOLAS (Stuffed Yuca Fritters)
This is specially for the homesick panamanians out there
ARROZ CON POLLO (Chicken with Rice)
1 3 lb. chicken Cut the chicken into pieces and season with salt, pepper and orange juice. Let stand for 1 hour. Heat the olive oil and brown the chicken pieces. Take the chicken out of the pan and add the chopped onion, green pepper and garlic. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes and add the tomato puree. Continue cooking for some more and the chicken and the rice. Stir well and cook 3 more minutes. Add the stock, salt, green olives and capers. Cover and cook over high heat until it boils and the rice pops. Uncover and lower heat. Pour the wine over the rice and continue cooking until the rice is completely cooked and the chicken is tender. Take the chicken out of the rice and take the meat off the bones. Return the chicken meat to the rice and stir well. Add the peas. When ready to serve, put on a serving dish and decorate with the red pepper strips. 8 servings.
TAMALES PANAMEÑOS
Soak the corn overnight in water. The next day, discard the water and replace with more fresh water, cook over moderate heat until the corn is tender. Drain and pass through the meat grinder. Add the hot water and the 2 Tbs. vegetable oil. Work well to obtain a smooth, soft dough. Cover and let rest while you prepare the filling.
FLAN DE CARAMELO (Caramel Custard)
1 can evaporated milk
On the upper pan of a double boiler place the sugar with 1/4 cup water to make a caramel.
Mix the milk, eggs, vanilla and sugar and pour in the caramel pan. Place over a double boiler and cover. Let cook over medium heat for 1 hour until the custard is set. Let cool completely and then place in refrigerator. Once cold turn over onto a serving dish and serve.
TRES LECHES
(Three Milks Cake)
I have seen many recipes for this popular Central American dessert, but my friend Maria Elena from Guatemala
swears this is the original.
Make the spongecake: In a the bowl of your mixer place the egg whites. Beat at low speed first and then increase the speed to
high until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually, letting it dissolve well before adding more, and beat until firm. Add the egg yolks one by one, beating well after each addition.
Now mix the flour with the baking powder and add to the mixture alternating with the milk. This operation has to be done quickly or the batter will loose the lightness in it. Finally, add the vanilla.
Pour this batter in a large rectangular pyrex,greased and floured, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes in a 350°oven.
While this is baking, prepare the cream. Very simple: just mix everything together in a blender and pour over the still warm spongecake.
The frosting: Place the water, sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan and let boil. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Add the hot syrup in a string and continue beating at high speed until
all the syrup has been added. Beat until no longer warm.
To serve the Tres Leches: Once the soaked spongecake is at room temperature you have to let it cool in the refrigerator. Then you can spread the frosting and put back in the
cold. This is supposed to be served very cold. You can decorate this Cake with Silver dragées or you can also make some caramel and let some strings of it just casually over the frosting.
DELICIA DE COCO (Coconut Delight)
1 spongecake 9 x 13 in.
PIE DE LIMON (Lemon Pie)
For the crust: More recipes coming soon
|