We are lucky to have our Bay of Banderas` Red Snapper abundant year-round: the most popular and delicious fish dish you can enjoy in PV. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients 

Fresh, whole Red Snapper (as many as needed)

Lime juice

Natural sea salt

Ground black pepper

Extra Virgin olive oil

Diced garlic

Procedure

Wash the fish (fres and whole) in the sink and pat-dry with paper towels. Pour the juice of half a lime over each fish. Season with natural sea salt and ground black pepper. Add extra virgin olive oil and diced garlic to a pan at medium heat, stir so garlic does not burn. Place the whole fish over hot oil and let it cook for 5 minutes on each side. Serve with salsa mexicana (pico de gallo), guacamole, rice, tortillas and enjoy! Provecho!

Vallarta`s famous smoked marlin is truly one of a kind! Here is the recipe.

Ingredients 

1/2 Kg smoked marlin

2 white medium-sized onions, diced

1/8 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbsp. diced garlic

1 red bell pepper, diced

8 boiled tomatoes

1/2 cup sliced green olives

3 celery stalks, diced

2 small carrots, diced

1/4 cup capers

4 Bay leaves

1 large potato, diced

1 teaspoon ground oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

Heat olive oil in a pan at medium heat, without letting it get smoky. Let onions and celery cook until golden, then add carrots, tomatoes and bell pepper. Stir and let it cook for 10 minutes.

Add smoked marlin chunks, potatoes, olives and capers, stirring for a few minutes and then cover. Let it simmer at low heat for another 30 minutes.

To be enjoyed hot or cold, provecho! 

Ingredients

1 small octopus

½ white onion

1 celery stalk

2 large garlic cloves

2 bay leaves

2 medium-sized pieces of papaya skin

2 tsp Sea salt

Water

½ red onion

1/3 of each: red, green and yellow bell pepper

2 cucumbers

1 peeled tomato

½ tsp dill

1 lime

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

Fill a medium size pot with water enough to cover the octopus.  Put the water to boil with the onion, celery, garlic, bay leaves, papaya skin and sea salt.  Once it boils, add the clean octopus and set your clock for 40 minutes.

Get the octopus out of the boiling water and let it cool completely.

Once the octopus has cooled, slice it and add the olive oil, salt, pepper, lime juice and dill. Cut the peppers julienne style and thinly slice the onion (length wise).  Slice the cucumber and the tomato and add them to the octopus mix.

Let it rest for at least 20 minutes and serve over a tostada spread with guacamole, and enjoy!

Ingredients for cake

1 Grated fresh coconut (meat only)

1 cup coconut milk

200 grs butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

4 eggs

Dash of sea salt

2 tsp Coconut extract

Procedure

Sift flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.  In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar, add eggs one by one, mixing well, then add sifted flour and coconut milk. Mix to ribbon point, add the coconut extract at the end.

Grease and cover with flour an 8-9 inch pan, shaking excess off.  Pour batter and bake in a pre-heated oven at 375 for 45 - 50 minutes. Inserting a toothpick to check if it’s done: if it comes out clean, it is.

Ingredients for cream

1 & 1/3 cup milk

1 Cup coconut milk

1 cup sugar

3 tbsp corn starch

1 tsp coconut extract

Heat a cup of milk & a cup of sugar together at low fire for 5 minutes; in another bowl, mix 1/3 cup milk with corn starch.  When milk mixture is softly boiling, add coconut milk and corn starch mixture, mixing very well to avoid lumps, until it thickens.  Let it rest until completely cool.

To put this dessert together, use a nice Martini glass and add small chunks of cake, then pieces of pineapple soaked in rum and honey, then the coconut cream.  Repeat two or three times more, and garnish with a slice of star fruit and a fresh mint leaf. Enjoy!

Ingredients for Salsa

2 guajillo peppers

1 ancho pepper

2 tomatoes

3 large garlic cloves

¼ medium size white onion

1/3 cup tomato puré

1 tsp dried oregano

10 oz crab meat

½ white onion (thinly sliced)

1 garlic clove (finely chopped9

1 Poblano pepper (thinly sliced)

1 tomato (chopped)

Small bunch of cilantro (finely chopped)

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp E.V.O.O.

Ingredients for Enchilada filling

12 corn tortillas

Crema fresca

Queso Cotija (crumbled)

½ white onion

Cooking oil (necessary amount)

Procedure

Put first 7 ingredients in a sauce pot, cover them with water, bring them to a boil & let cook for 10 minutes.  Cool off, blend & strain.  Season with salt & pepper.

To make the filling: Heat the oil in a frying pan at medium heat, add onion & Poblano pepper, cook for 3 minutes. Add tomato & garlic, cook 3 minutes, add the crab meat, season with salt & pepper & cook for 5 more minutes, add cilantro mixing well and turn off.  Set aside.

Put some of the Salsa on a large plate and place a tortilla in it, covering both sides with salsa.  Add 1 tbsp of cooking oil to a large frying pan & heat over medium heat.  Add tortilla and cook each side for 1-2 minutes. Place them on another plate and continue until you get all your tortillas cooked in the salsa.

Put  2 tbsp of crab filling in each tortilla, roll and put three in each plate, thin out the rest of Salsa roja with a little bit of chicken , beef or veggie broth and pour some over the enchilada plate, garnish with the chopped onion, a tsp of cremafresca and the crumbled Cotija cheese.  Serve them with shredded lettuce and sliced radish.

Notes from Chef:

You can use sour cream instead of crema fresca & feta cheese instead of Cotija.

Naturally, the filling can be substituted for shredded beef or chicken.

You can use Monterey Jack or Manchego cheese for a more "tex-mex" version, then bake in the oven for 5 minutes until the cheese melts. 

Ingredients

Recipe serves 4

4 shots  Tequila “Centenario” Plata

4 shots  “Guaycura” Damiana liquoer

4 lime (juice)

2 Tbsp tamarind paste

Ice

1 lime

Sugar

Red pepper flakes

Procedure

Everything goes in the blender: tequila, Guaycura, lime juice, tamarind paste and enough ice to cover. Blend until smooth.

Get two plates and spread sugar on one and pepper flakes on the other.  Cut the lime and rub it against the rim of your Margarita glasses. Press it against the sugar and then the chili flakes. Pour margarita and drink up!

You can substitute the Tamarind paste for passion fruit in the same amounts.

Contains: a bottle of Monte Xanic Chenin Colombard, a bottle of L.A. Cetto Nebbiolo, a loaf of sourdough bread, a box multigrain crackers, stuffed olives, smoked oysters, brie cheese, salami, grapes, apples and pears.

Contains: a bottle of L.A. Cetto Blanc de Blancs, paté, tapenade, baked pita chips, goat cheese, a small bag of smoked almonds, grapes, apples, and Medjol dates.