Surf and turf is timeless.
Guadalajara does it so well, because of its proximity to Puerto Vallarta and its insane meat tendencies, think carne en su jugo (here’s my recipe), lonches de pierna, tortas ahogada de pancita, etc. We just spent the most glorious days drinking tejuino, sipping tequila Cascahuín, and eating at Xokol, one of my favorite restaurants in the entire world. But also eating the guacamaya with cubed raw tuna and crispy chicharrón in a brioche bun at La Panga del Impostor. Chef Antonio de Livier does surf and turf flawlessly.
For a quick weeknight dinner, I wanted to recreate that moment of intense umami with my obsession with bivalves as in polygamy: the practice of marrying multiple proteins.
I picked up cockles from New Zealand at $6.99/lb, but manila, littleneck, or razor clams work like a dream. Clams are worth it for the briny liquid they release when steamed. Thinking about this liquid as seasoning is how we all need to think about clams! So hold off on the salt, and season at the end if needed.
The spicy Italian sausage it’s a great shortcut to bring intense umami and a crispy bite. But the Fresca moment here is the aguachile broth.
How. did. I. not. think. about. aguachile. broth. before.
Dios mío.
Remember the briny liquid from the clams? It gets combined into an herby broth and turns into an aguachile verde once the lemon juice is added at the end. It’s Meyer lemon season, and I’ve made picking Meyer lemons from the streets of Long Beach my favorite pastime. You can definitely sub for lime juice or any other lemon.
Mar y Tierra es vida.
This week’s mixtape is for the señora with sheer nylons, red lipstick, and big bangs having breakfast in Colonia Providencia in Guadalajara that we all are inside.