Mexican Soups, Starters and Snacks from the Yucatan

Mexican appetizers, snacks and soups are often known as 'botanas'. It is not uncommon to be served a selection of free simple botanas as you sip a cold Corona or Sol in a downtown Cancun bar or restaurant.

Ceviche, a citrus marinated sea food cocktail served cold, is a popular appetizer with Cancun tourists and locals alike.

A selection of recipes for the most common botanas found in Cancun and the Yucatan are reproduced below.

Sopa de Tortilla

Tomatoes

• Vegetable oil
• 8*6 inch tortillas cut into 1/4 inch wide strips
• Salt
• 1 pasilla chile
• 10 ripe tomatoes
• 2 white onions peeled
• 4 cloves of garlic peeled
• 2 ancho chiles stemmed
• 4 sprigs fresh or 2 tbsp dried epazote
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 ripe avocado seeded peeled and cut into large pieces
• 8 ounces panela cheese or queso blanco cheese cut into 1/4 inch cubes
• 2 limes cut into wedges
  

Pour 1/2 inch of oil into heavy skillet and heat over medium heat until it reaches a temperature of 350 degrees. Fry the tortilla strips in 2 batches until crisp, about 30 seconds per batch. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Season to taste with salt while hot and set aside. Add pasilla chile to the hot oil and fry until fragrant and puffed up, about 2 minutes. Set on paper towel to drain. Remove stem and throw it away. Throw out all but 3 tbsp of frying oil and return skillet to high heat. Sear the tomatoes, onions, garlic, and ancho chile on all sides turning vegetables as they blacken,, about 3 minutes. Work in batches so skillet is not overly crowded. Remove skillet from heat and puree vegetables and epazote in a blender. Place the puree in a large pot and add stock bringing to a boil over medium high heat. Season to taste with salt. Divide the avocados, cheese and tortilla strips between 6-8 warm soup bowls and ladle in the soup. Crumble some saved pasille chile over each bowl and serve with lime wedges.

Makes about 6-8 servings.

Sopa de Lima (chicken-lime soup)

Limes

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 white onion peeled and finely chopped
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 3 limes
• 1 chicken breast half (about 1/2 lb) on the bone
• salt
• 4 fresh tortillas
• vegetable oil or lard
• 2 medium tomatoes seeded and diced
• 1 small mild green pepper stemmed and diced
• 1 habanero pepper stemmed seeded and sliced

Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium low heat. Add onions and cook stirring occasionally until soft, about 20 minutes. Add the stock and juice of two limes and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Reduce to medium heat. Season the chicken breast with salt and add to the pot. Poach chicken until juices run clear when the breast is pricked, about 20 minutes. Move chicken to a plate and set aside. Cut tortillas into strips about 1 inch wide and then cut each strip into 4-5 triangles. Pour oil into a small pot (about 1-2 inches of oil) and fry tortillas in batches until crisp and golden, about 1-2 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels and season with salt while still hot. Remove and throw away the skin of the chicken. Remove all bones from chicken and throw away. Shred the chicken and divide it among 4 soup bowls. Reheat the broth and season to taste with salt. Place some tomatoes, peppers, chiles and fried tortilla chips in each bowl and cover with broth. Serve with lime wedges cut from remaining lime. Makes 4 servings.

Makes 4 servings.

Mexican Sweet Corn

Sweetcorn

• 6 ears fresh sweet corn in their husks
• 3 tbsp butter melted
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise or crema
• 1/3 finely crumbled queso anejo
• 1 tbsp powdered arbol chile

Place unpeeled corn into a large deep bowl and cover with cold water and weigh down with a plate to submerge in the water. Soak for 30 minutes and then drain. Preheat grill and place grill rack about 5 inches above heat. Grill unpeeled corn over medium-hot heat turning often until outer husks are blackened, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Then peel off husks and remove corn silk. Brush the peeled corn with butter and return to grill and cook until browned all over turning often, about 10 minutes. Spread each ear with some mayonnaise or crema and then roll in cheese and sprinkle with powdered chile.

Shrimp Cocktail

Shrimps

• 1 lb small shrimp boiled and peeled
• 1 chopped up tomato
• 1/2 small white onion chopped and peeled
• 1 clove of garlic peeled and minced
• 1 jalepeno stemmed, seeded and sliced
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley leaves
• salt and freshly ground white pepper
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 lime cut into wedges

Mix the shrimp, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and jalepeno's in a medium bowl. Stir in the oil and parsley then season with salt and pepper to taste. Cut the avocado in half lengthwise. Remove pit and throw away. Peel of the outer skin and throw away and slice the remaining pulp. Top the mixture with the avocado slices and serve with lime wedges.

Makes 4 servings.

Pico de Gallo

• 2 ripe medium tomatoes diced
• 1 medium sweet onion peeled and diced
• 2 scallions
• 2-3 serrano chiles stemmed, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 bunch cilantro chopped
• 1 clove of garlic peeled and minced
• Juice of 1 lime
• salt

Mix tomatoes, onions, scallions, chiles, cilantro, garlic and lime juice into a medium bowl. Mix very well. Cover and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Can also be refrigerated for up to 8 hours before serving.

Salsa Criolla (Chopped tomato salad)

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1 small yellow onion peeled and diced
• 4 large ripe tomatoes diced
• 1 green pepper stemmed, seeded, and diced
• 1 serrano chile stemmed seeded and chopped

Pour oil and vinegar into a large bowl and whisk together. Add onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers to the bowl. Toss with dressing until evenly coated. Add chiles and stir well. Season to taste with salt. Set aside for 30 minutes before serving.

Shrimp Ceviche

Shrimps

• 1lb shrimp (you can substitute 1lb of any other skinless white fish)
• Juice of 2-3 limes
• 1-2 serrano chiles chopped with stems cut off
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro
• salt to taste

Add shrimp, lime juice, chiles and cilantro in a medium bowl. Season with salt and stir well to mix all ingredients. Refrigerate stirring the shrimp every 30 minutes until shrimp is opaque and firm to the touch. This takes about 1-2 hours. Serve cold with tortilla chips or crackers.

Makes 4-6 servings

Crab Salsa

Cilantro

• 1 lb jumbo lump crabmeat picked apart
• 4 ripe medium tomatoes diced
• 1 small red onion peeled and sliced
• 1/2 cup boiled fresh or frozen white corn
• Leaves of 1/2 bunch of cilantro chopped
• 1 medium scallion trimmed and chopped
• Juice of 2-3 limes
• 2 tsp's white vinegar
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix crabmeat, tomatoes. onions, corn, scallions, and cilantro in a medium bowl. Drizzle lime juice and vinegar over the mixture. Add cumin and season to taste with salt and pepper.Toss gently but be careful not to break up lumps of crabmeat. Adjust the seasonings if needed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hours. Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.

Chiles Toreados (roasted serrano chiles)

Red Chilis

• 12-16 serrano chiles
• vegetable oil
• salt

Gently flatten chiles with the side of a large knife and rub with a bit of oil. Roast chiles on a griddle or in a small cast iron skillet over medium high heat turning them as they blister and char, about 10-15 minutes. Transfer to a dish and season to taste with salt. Makes 2-4 servings

Makes 2-4 servings

Cebollas Curtidas (pickled onions)

Garlic

• 1 medium beet trimmed peeled and coarsely grated
• 2 cloves garlic crushed and peeled
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 lb red onions peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 cup soar orange juice (or 1/3 cup fresh lime juice mixed with 1 tbsp lime zest and 2/3 cup fresh grapefruit juice)

Place beets into a medium saucepan and garlic, bay leaves, vinegar and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce heat to medium to simmer for 10 minutes. Place onions in a medium bowl. Strain hot beet cooking liquid over the onions and set aside to rest until onions soften slightly, about 5 minutes. Drain onions and return to bowl adding sour orange juice (or lime-grapefruit mixture) and salt to taste. Toss well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.