Romeritos – seepweed in mole with dried-shrimp fritters

Ingredients for 4 portions

• 400 gPotato
• 300 gNopal (cactus paddle), spines removed
• to tasteSalt
• 700 gRomeritos (seepweed)
• 100 gDried shrimp, heads and legs removed
• 250 gMole paste, 1 jar
• 750 mlChicken stock
• 3Eggs
• 1 tbspBreadcrumbs
• 3 tbspRapeseed oil, for frying

On the side

• 12Corn tortillas

Method

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes, and cut the nopales into strips. Put both in a pan, cover with water, add salt and bring to the boil.
2. Boil for 10 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Drain and rinse the nopales in cold water to wash off the slime.
3. Meanwhile, pick over the romeritos: pull off the roots and thick stems and wash them in several changes of water.
4. Cook the romeritos in boiling water for 5 minutes and drain them well.
5. Meanwhile, grind the dried shrimp to a fine powder in a blender or spice grinder.
6. Put the mole paste in a wide pot with a splash of the stock and work it smooth over a low heat. Stir in the rest of the stock a little at a time until the sauce is smooth.
7. Simmer the mole over a low heat for 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until it has thickened a little.
8. Meanwhile, separate the eggs. Whisk the whites to stiff peaks, whisk in the yolks one at a time, then gently fold in the shrimp powder and breadcrumbs.
9. Heat oil about 1 cm deep in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry spoonfuls of the batter for 1–2 minutes per side, until golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
10. Add the romeritos, potatoes and nopales to the mole and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the fritters and let them heat through for 3 minutes. Only add salt now, as the shrimp are salty.
11. Warm the tortillas in a dry frying pan and wrap them in a tea towel.
12. Serve the romeritos with their mole and two or three fritters each, with the tortillas alongside.

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