Romeritos

Fresh romeritos for this classic Mexican Christmas dish.

This dish from southern Mexico is usually served for Christmas, New Year’s, and Lent. Romero means “rosemary” in English, but in this case, the diminutive romerito doesn't refer to that kind of plant, but to a very different one whose scientific name is Suaeda calceoliformis. The stem and leaves of this wild plant are edible and very tender. Unlike rosemary, romeritos (also called romerillos and quelite salado, or seepweed in English) have no aroma. Recipe Servings: Serves 4 to 6

Prep Time

20 minutes
+ 10 minutes resting

Cook Time

1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time

1 hour 45 minutes

Vegetarian

Vegan

Gluten Free

Dairy Free

Kosher

Halal

Ingredients

About 2 lbs (1 kg) washed romeritos (seepweed)
1 lb (1/2 kg) cactus, sliced in strips
Pinch of baking soda
1 lb (450 g) peeled cambray or red potatoes
3.5 oz (100 g) dried shrimp
1 egg
Vegetable oil for frying
1/2 lb (220 g) mole poblano paste
salt to taste

Directions

In a medium saucepan, cook the romeritos with a bit of water at medium heat.
In a different medium pot, cover the cactus with water. Add baking soda and salt and boil over high heat.
Reduce to low, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, until they are soft.
In a separate pot, cook the potatoes until soft.
Cut the tails of the shrimp and set them aside while soaking the shrimp in warm water for 10 minutes.
In a blender or food processor, grind the shrimp heads and tails to powder.
Beat egg until stiff and combine with the shrimp powder.
Form patties and fry in a pan with oil.
Dissolve the mole paste in the water in which the shrimp was soaked, and add the romeritos, potatoes, cactus, and shrimp.
In a large saucepan, cook over medium heat and salt to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 2 minutes.