I’ve always enjoyed how people in the United States have informally adopted Cinco de Mayo, a holiday marking an important battle during Mexico’s quest for independence from France on May 5, 1862. In fact, since the very next year after that momentous victory, Californians — who themselves were under Spanish and then Mexican rule before achieving statehood in 1850 — have celebrated Cinco de Mayo, while its observance began spreading nationwide only a few decades ago.
Of course, some people use the holiday as a reason to indulge in beer and tequila. But the pride and growing influence of our nation’s Latino population has also helped make everyone more and more aware of the many reasons to think of the holiday as a more serious but no less joyous celebration of Mexican culture and heritage.
To me, that new perspective also translates into the foods eaten on Cinco de Mayo. Most people will tell you they’re going to enjoy guacamole or salsa, and lots and lots of things made with tortillas: crispy chips, piles of nachos, tacos, taquitos, enchiladas, burritos and so on. I enjoy many of those things myself.
But why not make May 5 an opportunity to explore other aspects of Mexican cooking and maybe even dishes that deliver just as much lively flavor without all the fat and calories that come with so many of those often deep-fried, cheese-laden items?
The recipe for Mexican-style red-snapper crudo with fresh tomato-jalapeno salsa does just that. The term “crudo” is becoming more and more familiar these days in Italian cuisine, referring to any fresh, raw seafood served as an appetizer. In fact, the same word also means “raw” in Spanish; and, funny enough, it’s also Mexican slang for hangover.
Though completely satisfying, this dish is incredibly healthy and light, with just 72 calories per serving, only 4 percent from fat. That’s thanks not only to the lean seafood itself, but also to the fact that the generous fresh vegetable salsa doesn’t include any of the oil you might ordinarily find in such mixtures.
The salsa does, however, have lots of bright tastes and textures, with its combination of tomato, onion, cucumber and spicy chile pepper, plus the added zing of lime and lemon juices and a spoonful of chile sauce. Feel free to substitute or add other fresh salad vegetables such as celery, bell pepper or jicama.
MEXICAN-STYLE RED SNAPPER CRUDO WITH FRESH SALSA
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice, from 2 to 3 limes
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon bottled Mexican chile sauce, sauce as Tapatio or Cholula brands
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 to 1 jalapeno, halved, stemmed, seeded, deveined and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 medium-sized ripe tomato, halved, cored, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 medium Japanese cucumber, cut into 1/4-inch dice, to yield 1 cup
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 head butter lettuce, or 1 small head romaine lettuce, leaves separated, thoroughly rinsed and patted dry
3/4 pound fresh sushi-grade red-snapper fillet or other sushi-grade fresh fish such as yellowtail or ahi tuna
Directions:
In a mixing bowl, stir together the lime juice, lemon juice, chile sauce, cilantro, onion, jalapeno, tomato and cucumber. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Line a chilled serving platter with the lettuce leaves. Cut the fish fillet crosswise and at a 45-degree angle into thin slices. Arrange the slices overlapping on top of the lettuce leaves on the platter. Spoon the fresh salsa over the fish down the center of the platter.
Alternatively, arrange the lettuce leaves on the platter as individual cup shapes. As you slice the fish fillet, arrange the slices in the centers of individual cups. Then, place a small spoonful of the salsa on top of the fish in each cup, reserving the remaining salsa for guests to help themselves to more.
Serve the fish immediately, encouraging guests to transfer portions to individual plates to eat with a fork and knife; or to fold slices of the fish and some salsa inside individual leaves, to eat by hand like a taco.