Acapulco's Crab and Avocado Enchiladas with Cilantro Cream
I found this wonderful recipe. The tortillas are filled with a warm crab mixture, then smothered with a fresh, creamy cilantro cheese sauce, and topped off with garden-fresh diced tomatoes and avocado slices.
I found this wonderful recipe. The tortillas are filled with a warm crab mixture, then smothered with a fresh, creamy cilantro cheese sauce, and topped off with garden-fresh diced tomatoes and avocado slices.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups shredded jack-cheese
- 6 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped onions
- 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 dash sugar
- 6 large flour tortillas
- oil or lard
- 1 1/2-2 cups cooked crab meat
- 6 tablespoons minced onion
- 1/2 cup black pitted olives chopped
- 1 large ripe haas avocado chopped
- 1 cup fresh, garden ripe tomatoes diced
- Carbohydrate 48.7881839556342 g
- Cholesterol 19.1546875144411 mg
- Fat 12.5411001341813 g
- Fiber 3.01117565390325 g
- Protein 8.16561473715681 g
- Saturated Fat 5.46055149870764 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (126g)
- Sodium 482.449070467937 mg
- Sugar 45.7770083017309 g
- Trans Fat 1.04103638290082 g
- Calories 338 calories
Step-by-step
- PREHEAT OVEN TO 400F DEGREES
- Puree garlic with salt.
- Combine sour cream, onion, cilantro and sugar.
- Add garlic mixture and stir gently to blend well. Set aside. (sauce can be made ahead of time and refridgerated to blend flavors for a more rich and bold garlic taste)
- Heat tortillas over medium heat, one at a time, in oil until soft (about 30-45 seconds).
- Spoon 1/4 cup crab meat down center of each tortilla.
- Sprinkle each with 1 tbs. minced onion
- Top with a little Cream Sauce and finely shredded jack-cheese
- Roll enchiladas and place seam-side down in casserole dish
- Cover enchiladas with remaining Cream Sauce
- Top with jack-cheese
- Bake 10 to 15 minutes on middle oven shelf until hot and cheese is melted.
- Serve each with 1 tbs. sour cream, garnished with olives, chopped avocado and diced tomatoes.
The Seafood Shift
Swapping fresh crab for firm, flaky cooked whitefish alters the coastal profile entirely while retaining the rich texture required for rolling. Culinary traditions along the Pacific coast frequently adapted whatever daily catch was available into standard tavern fare. Mincing raw onions finely before combining them with dairy prevents harsh sulfur compounds from overpowering delicate crustacean proteins during resting periods. Heating tortillas in hot fat for precisely thirty to forty-five seconds softens the gluten structure just enough to prevent tearing under pressure.Second-Day Flavors
Prepared sauces containing raw garlic and dairy benefit immensely from resting overnight in refrigeration because sulfur compounds mellow significantly over twelve hours. Combining ingredients ahead of time allows the cellular walls of the alliums to break down completely into the sour cream base, creating a cohesive emulsion that resists separation when exposed to heat. Doubling or halving this yield requires careful scaling of the salt and garlic paste, since aromatics do not always multiply linearly without tasting harsh. Maintaining a baking temperature of 400 degrees Fahrenheit ensures the jack cheese melts uniformly before the delicate crab fillings overheat.Finishing Textures
Placing rolled tortillas seam-side down in the casserole dish prevents unravelling during the ten to fifteen minute baking window until the cheese bubbles actively at the edges. Fresh avocado oxidizes rapidly upon exposure to ambient air, so dicing the Haas variety immediately prior to plating preserves bright green coloration and buttery mouthfeel. Olives add a necessary sodium contrast that balances the inherent sweetness of cooked crab meat and the tang of the cilantro cream sauce.
