This Gulf Coast version is from Veracruz, but similar seafood pozoles are found along Mexico’s Pacific coasts. Most Mexican seafood stews come with the heads on the shrimp, but if you do not like to serve shrimp this way, leave them off. If, on the other hand, a more intense shrimp taste is desired, save the shrimp shells, grind them in a food processor or blender with a little of the pozole broth, and add this with the seafood.
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds nixtamalized corn for pozole, either packaged or prepared at home
- 1 head garlic, separated, peeled and sliced
- 3 ½ quarts fish stock
- salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons corn oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
- ¾ pound shrimp, peeled, preferably with heads left on
- ¾ pound roughly chopped clams
- ¾ pound roughly chopped, cleaned octopus
- 1 pound firm-fleshed white fish, cleaned and cut into stew-size chunks
- 2-3 large avocados
- 5 limes, quartered
- 1 small head lettuce, shredded
- a small bowl of dried oregano
- 4-5 chopped serrano chiles
- 20 4″ tortillas, fried until crisp
Preparation:
Place the corn, either packaged or prepared at home, in a large pot with fish stock to cover. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium and cook until the corn is tender. Add salt to taste.
Heat the oil, sauté the onion, and add it to the pozole. Add the seafood and fish and cook until they are cooked through.
Serve with the sliced avocado, lime wedges, lettuce, oregano, chiles and fried tortillas. Serves10.