Puerto Rican Salmorejo - Stewed Crab and Tomatoes With Rice
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Puerto Rican Salmorejo - Stewed Crab and Tomatoes With Rice
The traditional salmorejo is the Puerto Rican equivalent of a New England lobster boil or a Cajun lobster boil; In other words, it's a labor-intensive family affair.
That's because it takes time to catch and purge the crabs, cook them, choose the meat and finally prepare the salmorejo; usually it's all hands on deck.
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Fortunately, with the quality canned crab meat now available, the process becomes much shorter and therefore enjoyable.
Caribbean Salmorejo vs Spanish Salmorejo
Don't confuse this Caribbean version of salmorejo with the Spanish version, which is a bread and tomato soup.
We pretty sure the Spanish salmorejo was the predecessor to our Puerto Rican version, but the similarities end with the name and use of the tomatoes.
Although its proper name is Salmorejo de Jueyes, on the island and in other countries where it is made it is simply called "salmorejo".
The main ingredients of Salmorejo
We are glad to see global cuisines becoming so popular these days, which means you should be able to find the ingredients used in this recipe, like sazon and recaito, in the Hispanic food section of your grocery store with no problem.
Be sure to buy sazon “con cilantro y achiote” (with cilantro and achiote), as it gives the dish its unique reddish-orange color and flavor.
The mini bell peppers used in this recipe are found under the bell peppers in the produce section.
These small, multi-colored peppers have a milder, sweeter flavor than traditional peppers; if you can't find them, feel free to use a mix of red, yellow, and/or orange bell peppers.
The mixture of olives and capers is known as “alcaparrado” and brings a salty-umami flavor to most Hispanic stews and meat dishes.
You can find manzanilla olives stuffed with pimientos and capers in the pickle section of your supermarket.
If you're not a fan of both, just skip them and increase the salt in the recipe to 1 1/4 tsp.
How to buy crab meat
Unfortunately, most of us have to buy processed crab meat, but that's fine with me. That means less prep and less waiting until dinner.
Just be sure to feel through the meat for any stubborn bits of crust. Discard any you find.
A mixture of bone, backfin, and/or crabmeat is ideal because it mimics the whole crab traditionally used in the recipe.
If you have access to fresh crabs, use them! Blue crabs are the best type of crab to use because they are inexpensive and tasty. You will only need to fully cook them before choosing the meat to use in the recipe.
How to make and serve Salmorejo
Don't let the "stew" in the name put you off. This tasty dish is ready in less than thirty minutes.
The base of the sauce is sautéed and simmered rapidly for a few minutes, and then the crab meat is gently incorporated.
Serving with steamed white rice is the best way to enjoy the multiple flavors of salmorejo.
If you multitask and cook the rice while making the stew, it will be ready at the table in no time.
A great side dish is thinly sliced green plantain chips that are fried until crisp.
Platanutres, or plantain chips, can sometimes be found in the Hispanic food section of your grocery store.
Ingredients
For Salmorejo:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
6 mini bell peppers (or yellow, red, or orange bell peppers), chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper (about 1/2 cup)
1 cup medium white onion, diced (about 1 cup)
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 large Roma tomatoes, diced (about 2 cups)
1 (8-ounce) tomato sauce, about 1/4 cup
2 tablespoons of recaito, industrialized or homemade
1 1/2 teaspoons Sazón with Cilantro and Annatto, purchased or homemade
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
6 stuffed manzanilla olives
1 tablespoon capers, drained from brine
1 pound crab meat (pit, dorsal fin, or claw, or a combination thereof)
1/2 cup of water
To participate:
1 cup of cooked white rice
Fried green plantain chips (optional)
Method
Cook the vegetables:
In a large skillet with a lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat until the surface of the oil begins to ripple.
Add bell pepper, bell pepper, onion, and garlic to skillet and saute 3 minutes or until vegetables are shimmering and translucent.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the tomatoes to the pan.
Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, for a further 4 minutes.
Stir-fry spices and seasonings:
Add the tomato sauce, the recao, the spices, the oregano, the salt, the pepper, the bay leaf, the olives and the capers.
Bring ingredients to a gentle boil and reduce heat to keep cooking simmering; the small bubbles should break the surface of the liquid.
Cook for five minutes, uncovered.
Add crab meat and cook:
Add the crab meat and water to the pan and gently fold the meat into the tomato sauce.
Avoid over-stirring – you want to keep the crab meat thick.
Reduce heat to medium-low and cover skillet. Let the salmorejo cook over low heat for 10 minutes without stirring.
Serve:
Serve the salmorejo over steamed white rice or fried plantain chips. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to two days and reheat well on the stove or in the microwave.
You can also freeze salmorejo for up to two months in a zip-top storage bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and heat on the stove in a saucepan until bubbly.
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