Chilpachole de Jaiba (Chilpachole de jaiba)
Overview
Chilpachole de jaiba is a spicy crab soup from Veracruz on the Gulf coast of Mexico. Blue crabs are cleaned and cooked in water to make a stock. Tomatoes, onion and garlic are charred or fried with dried chillies such as chipotle or ancho, blended and cooked in a little oil, then the crab stock is added. The soup is thickened with a little masa, the corn dough used for tortillas, and flavoured with fresh epazote. The crab pieces and picked crab meat go back into the pot. The result is brick red, smoky, spicy and full of the sweet taste of crab, and it is served with lime.
History
Chilpachole is a classic of Veracruz cooking that comes from the Sotavento region in the south of the state and is now made along the whole Gulf coast of Mexico. Its name is linked to chile atole, a chilli drink thickened with corn, which explains the masa. It is especially typical of Lent, when fish and seafood replace meat, and it is often said to have been inspired by French seafood soups.
Main ingredients
Blue crab, tomatoes, chipotle chillies, epazote, masa, garlic. The soup is built on crab and chilli broth and is usually served hot. Diet: pescatarian; usually gluten-free.
Explore: Fish and seafood soups · Tomato soups · More soups from Mexico
Recipe
Method
- 115 min
Simmer the crabs in 2 l water for 15 minutes, lift out and pick some of the meat.
- 2
Char the tomatoes, onion, garlic and chillies and blend with some stock.
- 35 min
Fry the purée in oil for 5 minutes, then add the stock.
- 410 min
Stir in the masa and simmer for 10 minutes, until slightly thick.
- 5
Add the crabs, crab meat and epazote, season and serve with lime.
- ✓
Serve. About 1 h from start to bowl.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
