Tortitas de camarón – dried-shrimp fritters in guajillo broth

Ingredients for 4 portions

• 6Guajillo chiles
• 2Tomatoes
• 400 gPotato
• 400 gNopal (cactus paddle), spines removed
• 100 gDried shrimp, heads and legs removed
• ½Yellow onion
• 2 clovesGarlic
• 1 mlCumin
• ≈ 750 mlWater
• 1 tbspRapeseed oil, for the sauce
• to tasteSalt
• 4Eggs
• 2 tbspBreadcrumbs
• 4 tbspRapeseed oil, for frying

On the side

• 12Corn tortillas

Method

1. Remove the stems and seeds from the chillies.
2. Simmer the chillies and tomatoes in a pan with a little water for 8–10 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft.
3. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes. Cut the nopales into strips.
4. Grind the dried shrimp to a fine powder in a blender or spice grinder.
5. Boil the potatoes and nopales in salted water for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse the nopales in cold water to wash off the slime.
6. Meanwhile, drain the chillies and tomatoes and blend until smooth with the onion, garlic, cumin and a little of the water. Sieve.
7. Heat the oil in a wide pan, pour in the sauce (careful, it spits) and fry it for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the water and leave to simmer over a low heat. Only add salt at the end, as the shrimp are salty.
8. 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 the 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 potatoes, nopales and fritters to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes so the fritters soak up some of the broth.
11. Warm the tortillas in a dry frying pan and serve the fritters in deep plates with the broth, nopales and potatoes, with the tortillas on the side.

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