Empanadas de Cazón de Tamiahua

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Tortilla press lined with clean plastic
• •Wide skillet or clay cazuela for the cazon guisado
• •Deep heavy skillet for frying
• •Wire rack set over a tray
• •Slotted spoon or kitchen spider

Instructions

1. 1

   Simmer the cazon

   Place the cazon in a saucepan with the onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt, and enough water to cover by one inch. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes when pressed. Do not boil it hard. Cazon is firm, but rough boiling makes it dry and stringy.

2. 2

   Shred the fish

   Lift the cazon from the broth and let it cool just enough to handle. Remove any cartilage, dark skin, or tough bits. Shred the meat with your fingers into fine flakes. Hands are better than forks here because you feel what does not belong. Strain and save 1/2 cup of the cooking broth.

3. 3

   Cook the guisado

   Heat the 2 tablespoons manteca de cerdo in a wide skillet over medium. Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until it smells alive. Stir in the jitomate, chile serrano, epazote, and Mexican oregano. Cook until the tomato collapses and the mixture thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. This is not a watery filling. The masa will punish you for that.

4. 4

   Finish the filling

   Add the shredded cazon and 1/4 cup of the reserved broth to the skillet. Cook, stirring often, until the fish absorbs the tomato and the pan looks almost dry, 6 to 8 minutes. Add more broth only if the filling sticks before the flavor comes together. Finish with the lime juice and taste for salt. Let the filling cool completely before shaping. Hot filling breaks masa. No me vengas con atajos.

   The filling should hold together on a spoon without dripping. If you see liquid running across the skillet, keep cooking.
5. 5

   Prepare the masa

   Knead the fresh corn masa with the fine sea salt for 2 minutes. It should feel soft, smooth, and barely tacky, like a tortilla masa ready for the press. If the edges crack when you flatten a test piece, knead in warm water one tablespoon at a time. Dry masa makes broken empanadas. Broken empanadas leak.

6. 6

   Press the rounds

   Divide the masa into 12 balls, about 2 1/2 ounces each. Line a tortilla press with two pieces of plastic cut from a clean bag. Press each ball into a round about 5 inches across. Do not press it paper-thin. These are empanadas, not tortillas, and they need enough body to hold the cazón.

7. 7

   Fill and seal

   Place 2 tablespoons cooled cazon filling on one half of each masa round, leaving a clean border. Fold the plastic over to bring the masa into a half-moon, then press the edges firmly through the plastic. Peel it back and pinch the seam with your fingers. A good seal is the difference between an empanada and a skillet full of fish.

8. 8

   Fry the empanadas

   Heat the 2 cups manteca de cerdo or oil in a deep skillet to 350F. Fry 2 or 3 empanadas at a time, turning once, until the masa is golden with deeper brown freckles at the edges, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Do not crowd the pan or the fat cools and the masa drinks it. The empanadas should sound firm when tapped with tongs.

9. 9

   Drain and serve

   Transfer the empanadas to a rack set over a tray, not a pile of paper towels where the bottoms soften. Serve warm with lime halves and salsa de chile serrano and jitomate. They should crack gently at the edge, then give way to the soft fish guisado inside. Recetas probadas y garantizadas.

Chef Tips

• •Ask the fishmonger for cazon, dogfish, or small shark from a responsible local source. If they look confused, ask for a firm white fish that can be shredded, but understand what you are losing: cazon has a firm grain that holds the guisado without turning mushy.
• •Use fresh masa from a tortilleria if you can. Masa harina works in emergencies, but fresh nixtamalized masa gives the empanada its proper corn aroma and flexible edge. Si no conoces el mercado, no conoces la cocina.
• •The epazote is not decoration. It belongs with fish in this Veracruz filling because it cuts the heaviness and gives the guisado its market-stall smell. Cilantro is not the same thing.
• •If your tomatoes are pale and hard, use good canned whole tomatoes and crush them by hand. The market decides the recipe. If the jitomate is bad, pretending does not improve it.
• •Fry in manteca de cerdo when you want the old flavor. Neutral oil is common now on the coast because it is cheaper and easier, but la manteca es el sabor.

Advance Preparation

• •The cazon filling can be made one day ahead and refrigerated. It is easier to fill empanadas when the guisado is cold and firm.
• •The masa balls can be portioned 2 hours ahead and kept covered with a damp cloth so they do not dry at the edges.
• •Fry the empanadas close to serving. If needed, reheat on a comal or in a 375F oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not microwave them unless you enjoy ruining crisp masa.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 130g)