Everywhere that I’ve traveled in Mexico where there is an abundance of fresh seafood, there is an abundance of ceviche. This version, which I was served in a small restaurant in the seafood market in Cancun, is a variation of the more typical fish, onion, and chile ceviche.

Ingredients

For the Ceviche:

• ½ pound firm whitefish, such as snapper, pompano, or bass, cut in ½-inch cubes

• ½ pound small, whole scallops

• 1 cup bitter orange juice

• 1 habanero chile, stem and seeds removed, minced or substitute 2 fresh jalapeño or serrano chiles

• 1 cup fresh pineapple, cut in chunks

• 1 small banana, sliced

• 3 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts

• 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

For the Juice:

• ½ cup grapefruit juice

• 1/4 cup orange juice

• 1/4 cup lime juice

Instructions

For the Ceviche:

Combine the fish, scallops, orange juice, and chile in a nonreactive bowl. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours turning occasionally until the fish loses its translucency and turns opaque.

To serve, toss the fish with the fruit and put the ceviche in parfait glasses. Garnish with the peanuts and cilantro, and serve.

For the Juice:

Mix all of the ingredients in a nonreactive bowl and let stand at room temperature for an hour. Use within 24 hours.

This is the legendary seventh mole from Oaxaca.

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds beef bones with meat; meat cut off the bones into 1-inch cubes

• 2 quarts water

• 1 onion, chopped

• 8 cloves garlic

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 chile de árbol or substitute large piquin or santaka chile

• 5 whole peppercorns

• 2 carrots, chopped

• 2 stalks celery, chopped

• 1 whole allspice berry

• 1 whole clove

• ½ pound pork butt, cut in 1-inch cubes

• 5 chilhuacle negro chiles, stems and seeds removed, save the seeds, or substitute anchos

• 6 guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed, save the seeds, or substitute dried red New Mexican chiles

• 1 corn tortilla, torn into strips

• 1 sprig fresh oregano

• 1 sprig fresh thyme

• 2 allspice berries

• 1 whole clove

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 2-inch stick cinnamon, Mexican preferred

• 4 large tomatoes, quartered

• 3 fresh tomatillos, halved

• 1 clove garlic

• 1 small onion, roasted

• 2 chayotes or substitute zucchini, sliced thin

• ½ pound green beans, chopped

• 5 small potatoes, peeled and quartered

• 3 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil

• 2 to 3 avocado leaves, or substitute bay leaves

• Salt to taste

• Garnishes: sliced onion and lime slices

Instructions

In a large stock pot, cover the beef bones with cold water, bring to a boil and boil for 20 minutes skimming off any foam that forms. Lower the heat and add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, chile de árbol, peppercorns, carrots, celery stalks, cloves, allspice, clove and cook for 5 minutes. Add the beef and pork cubes, lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Strain the stock, cool in the refrigerator and skim off any fat that rises to the top.

In a large frying pan or comal, toast the chiles, turning once until darkened, but not burned. Place the chiles in a bowl and cover with hot water to soak for ½ hour to soften.

Toast the tortilla strips on the comal until they blacken, remove. Toast the saved chile seeds on the comal and heat until the seeds are blackened. Remove the seeds and place in water to soak. Change the water after 5 minutes, and soak again for another 5 minutes. Drain.

Drain the chiles and place in a blender or food processor along with the tortillas, blackened seeds, oregano, thyme, allspice, clove, cumin, cinnamon, and a little water and puree to a paste.

Roast the tomatoes and tomatillos on the comal until soft, remove. Then roast the onion and garlic. Place them in the blender and puree.

Bring 3 cups of the reserved stock to a boil and the chayote, beans, and potatoes. Reduce the heat, and simmer until the potato is easily pierced with a fork. Drain and reserve the vegetables.

Heat the lard or oil in a heavy pot or cazuela and fry the chile puree. Add the tomato mixture and fry for a couple of minutes. Stir in just enough of the beef stock to thin the mixture and salt to taste. Toast the avocado leaves and add.

Add the vegetables to the mole and heat through.

Garnish the mole with the onion and a lime slice and serve.

There are more than 60 varieties of chiles that are grown only in the state of Oaxaca and nowhere else in Mexico. We have suggested substitutions here to reflect varieties more commonly available north of the border. You can use oil instead of lard, but the flavor will change dramatically.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, cut into eight serving pieces

• 6 cups chicken stock

• 5 chilhuacle negro chiles, stems and seeds removed (save the seeds) or substitute ancho chiles

• 5 guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed (save the seeds) or substitute dried red New Mexican chiles

• 4 pasilla chiles, stems and seeds removed (save the seeds)

• 4 mulatto chiles, stems and seeds removed (save the seeds), or substitute ancho chiles

• 2 chipotle chiles, stems and seeds removed (save the seeds)

• 1 medium white onion, quartered

• 6 cloves garlic

• 2 tablespoons whole almonds

• 2 tablespoons shelled and skinned peanuts

• 2 to 4 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil

• 2 teaspoons raisins

• 1 slice of bread (Challah or egg type is best)

• 1 small ripe plantain, sliced or substitute a banana

• ½ cup sesame seeds

• 2 pecan halves

• 1-inch cinnamon stick, Mexican preferred

• 2 whole peppercorns

• 2 whole cloves

• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped

• 5 fresh tomatillos, chopped

• ½ teaspoon dried oregano

• ½ teaspoon dried thyme

• 1 avocado leaf, omit if not available or substitute bay leaf

• 1 bar or to taste Mexican chocolate, Ibarra preferred

• Salt to taste

• Plenty of fresh tortillas

Instructions

In a pot, simmer the chicken in the stock until tender, about ½ hour. Remove the chicken and keep warm and reserve the stock.

In a large frying pan or comal, toast the chiles, turning once until darkened, but not burned or, as some Oaxaquenas prefer, fry the chiles in lard. Place the chiles in a bowl and cover with hot water to soak for ½ hour to soften. Remove the chiles and place in a blender or food processor and puree, adding a little chile water if necessary, to form a paste.

In the same pan, roast the onions and garlic cloves until slightly browned, remove. Then toast the almonds and peanuts slightly, remove. Finally, toast the chile seeds, taking care to make them dark but not burned.

Heat 2 tablespoons of lard in the skillet and fry the raisins until plumped, remove and drain on paper towels. Next fry the bread until browned, remove and drain. Repeat with the plantains. Add more lard if necessary, lower the heat and fry the sesame seeds slowly, stirring often. When they are slightly browned, add the pecans and brown, remove and drain.

Toast the cinnamon, peppercorns, and cloves lightly in a dry pan. Cool and grind in a mocajete or spice grinder.

In a food processor or blender, puree the nuts, bread, sesame seeds, and pecans in small batches, remove. Add the onions, garlic, plantains and puree, remove. Finally, add and puree the tomatoes and tomatillos.

In a large cazuela or heavy pot heat the remaining lard and fry the chile paste, stirring constantly so it will not burn. When it is “dry,” add the tomato puree and fry until the liquid has evaporated. Add the ground spices, the nut-bread mixture, the pureed onion mixture, and the oregano and thyme.

Heat, stirring constantly, to a simmer and add the chocolate to the mole. Toast the avocado leaf for a second over the open flame and add. Slowly add some of the reserved chicken stock to the mole until the mixture is just thick enough to lightly coat a spoon and salt to taste. Continue to simmer for 5 minutes, return the chicken to the mole and heat through.

Serve with plenty of sauce and hot tortillas.