Tabasco Pejelagarto Stock (Caldo Base de Pejelagarto)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Dry comal or heavy cast iron skillet
• •Heavy 6-quart stockpot or clay cazuela that can handle steady heat
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Shallow storage containers for quick cooling

Instructions

1. 1

   Clean the bones

   Remove the gills from the pejelagarto head if your fish seller has not done it. Rinse the head, bones, fins, and skin under cold water until no blood remains. Rub with 2 teaspoons of the salt and let sit for 10 minutes, then rinse again and pat dry. Gills and blood make fish stock taste harsh. A señora at the market would check this before she let you touch the pot.

2. 2

   Char the fish

   Heat a dry comal or heavy cast iron skillet over medium-high. Lay the pejelagarto bones, head, and skin on the hot surface in batches. Char until the edges darken, the skin tightens, and the kitchen smells roasted, not raw, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Do not blacken everything into bitterness. You want river depth, not burned trash.

   If the pieces are too large for a comal, use a broiler set high and turn the bones once. The point is direct dry heat before water touches the fish.
3. 3

   Char the aromatics

   On the same comal, char the quartered onion and unpeeled garlic until they have dark spots and smell sweet, about 5 minutes. Peel the garlic after it cools enough to handle. This is not decoration. The char gives the broth a brown, grounded flavor that raw onion cannot give.

4. 4

   Start cold

   Put the charred pejelagarto bones, onion, peeled garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, and remaining salt in a heavy stockpot. Add the cold water. Start cold because the bones give more flavor slowly. Bring just to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then lower the heat at once.

5. 5

   Skim and simmer

   Skim the gray foam that rises during the first 15 minutes. Keep the broth at a quiet simmer, with small bubbles at the edge of the pot, for 35 minutes. Fish stock is not beef stock. Cook it too long and it turns muddy. No me vengas con atajos, but also do not confuse patience with overcooking.

6. 6

   Add the herbs

   Add the epazote, momo, also called hoja santa, and the lightly crushed chile amashito. Simmer 10 minutes more. The herbs go in late because their green flavor should stay alive. The chile amashito should brighten the broth, not punish it. This is Tabasco, not a dare.

7. 7

   Rest and strain

   Turn off the heat and let the stock rest 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean pot or heatproof bowl. Do not press hard on the bones, or you push grit and bitterness into the liquid. Taste for salt. If the broth tastes a little muddy, add the lime juice. If it tastes clean, leave it alone. Saber cocinar es saber vivir.

8. 8

   Cool and store

   Cool the stock quickly in shallow containers. Refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months. Use it for chirmol de pejelagarto, masa fillings for Tabasco-style empanadas, green broths with chaya or momo, or any preparation that needs the river flavor of the state. Recetas probadas y garantizadas.

Chef Tips

• •Buy pejelagarto from a fish vendor who knows the river fish, not from a counter that treats all fish bones the same. Ask for the head, spine, fins, skin, and any roasted trim if they have it. The head matters.
• •Chile amashito is tiny, green, and sharp. It is not piquin. If your vendor shrugs and tries to sell you piquin, you are not buying amashito.
• •Momo and hoja santa are the same leaf in this kitchen language. In Tabasco and Chiapas you will hear momo. Use the local name because names carry geography.
• •Do not add tomato, achiote paste, or recado rojo to this stock. That would move the pot toward another region and another dish. This broth is a base, not a Yucatecan recado.
• •There is no acceptable substitute for pejelagarto in this recipe. A substitution would make a fish stock, not caldo base de pejelagarto.

Advance Preparation

• •Make the stock one day ahead for the cleanest flavor. Refrigerate it overnight, then lift off any firmed fat or residue from the surface before using.
• •Freeze in 2-cup portions for chirmoles, empanada fillings, and green broths. Label the containers clearly because this stock has a river character that does not belong in every dish.
• •If using for a sauce, reduce the strained stock by one-third over a gentle simmer. Do not boil it hard or the flavor turns coarse.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 240g)