Crab burritos
“This famous Tex-Mex dish comes, unsurprisingly, from the north of Mexico. The name means ‘little donkeys’, and while the origin of that name is disputed, one story attributes the name to Juan Mendez, a street-food vendor who, to keep his food warm in transit, wrapped it tightly in large flour tortillas, and carried it on the back of his donkey. Thus the name ‘food of the burrito’ evolved, and then simply, ‘burrito’. The filling for a burrito can be anything from beans and cheese to beef stews or grilled lobster, depending on the region. The size can also vary from a burrito made with an ‘arm-sized’ tortilla to a small takeaway snack. I have used a mixture of crab salad and beans, inspired by the lobster burritos of Baja California.”
These recipes are taken from Mexican Soul: A New Style of Cooking by Santiago Lastra (£30, Quadrille Publishing Ltd).
Find the recipe to make Santiago’s pistachio guacamole in his trout tostadas recipe.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
- 200g of kohlrabi, (or jicama), peeled and thinly sliced
- 300g of white crab meat
- 180ml of lime juice, (from about 6 limes)
- 4 flour tortillas, about 15cm in diameter
- 350g of guacamole, or you can make Santiago’s pistachio guacamole (see note)
- 5g of tarragon
REFRIED BEANS
- 250g of dried black beans
- 3l water
- 1/2 onion
- 1/2 garlic bulb, cut open horizontally
- 1 tomato
- 1/2 sprig of epazote, or 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 chipotle meco chilli, or 2, to taste
- 25g of lard
- 20g of queso fresco, grated
HABANERO SALSA
- 14 fresh habanero chillies
- 80ml of lime juice, (from about 2½ limes), plus extra as needed
- 50ml of orange juice, (from about ¼ orange), plus extra as needed
CHIPOTLE CREAM
- 100g of crème fraîche
- 5g of chipotle paste, (you could use equal parts smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, honey, cider vinegar and water as an alternative)
Equipment
- Stick blender
Method
For the refried beans, place the black beans in a container and cover with 1 litre of water. Cover with a lid or foil and leave to soak in the refrigerator overnight
- 250g of dried black beans
- 1l water
The next day, strain the beans and place in a large saucepan. Pour in 2 litres of water and then add the garlic, onion, tomato, epazote, bay leaf and 1 of the chillies. Simmer for 1 hour until the beans are soft and smooth, then season with about 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2l water
- 1/2 garlic bulb, cut open horizontally
- 1/2 onion
- 1 tomato
- 1/2 sprig of epazote, or 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 chipotle meco chilli
Remove the pan from the heat and remove the bay leaf and garlic skin, then leave the beans to cool to room temperature. Once cool, use a handheld blender to blend everything together until smooth. Taste, then add the second chilli if you'd like more heat
Melt the lard in a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the puréed beans. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly to keep the beans from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Taste and add more salt if needed. Sprinkle with the queso fresco. This makes double what you need
- 25g of lard
- 20g of queso fresco, grated
For the habanero salsa, roast half of the chillies whole over a gas hob or in the oven at 220°C for 10 minutes until the skin is blackened and almost burnt
Place the blackened chillies in a food processor along with all the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth, adding a splash more orange and/or lime juice if needed to help it blend. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This sauce can easily ferment, so keep an eye on closed containers as the fermentation can cause it to explode, leaving you with a messy refrigerator! Stir before serving. This makes more than you need (Santiago also says: “This is one of the spiciest sauces in Mexican cooking, so be careful when you try it on its own – just a few drops are enough to season your dishes. The mix of raw and roasted habaneros makes a sharp, fruity and spicy sauce.”)
- 7 fresh habanero chillies
- 80ml of lime juice, (from about 2½ limes), plus extra as needed
- 50ml of orange juice, (from about ¼ orange), plus extra as needed
Make the chipotle cream by combining the ingredients in a bowl and mixing until fully incorporated. Weigh out 75g and set aside
- 100g of crème fraîche
- 5g of chipotle paste, (you could use equal parts smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, honey, cider vinegar and water as an alternative)
To make a crab salad, put the kohlrabi, crab meat, 1 tablespoon of habanero salsa, lime juice and the chipotle cream in a bowl and mix well
- 200g of kohlrabi, (or jicama), peeled and thinly sliced
- 300g of white crab meat
- 180ml of lime juice, (from about 6 limes)
Place a flour tortilla on the work surface and fill it with 1 spoon of refried beans, 4 spoons of crab salad and 1 spoon of guacamole, then finish with 4 tarragon leaves
Close the burrito by folding in the top and bottom to cover the filling (it doesn’t need to cover it fully), then hold that in place with one hand and use the other hand to fold over the sides and tuck them in and under as tightly as you can. Roll up to create your burrito shape, then repeat with the remaining tortillas and fillings
Heat a dry frying pan over a medium heat and toast the burritos for 2-3 minutes on both sides until golden
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