What to cook this December

¡Feliz Navidad! This month, we’ve got a lineup of delicious Christmas dishes. It’s a time for warming atole or champurrado with crispy buñuelos. Crispy, creamy apple salads with your glazed ham lunch. In Mexico, traditional dishes you look forward to all year. 

I asked three of my Mexican friends, “What is Christmas to you, in food?” The answers came thick and fast, with everyone sharing their favorites. No matter where in Mexico they came from, a few recipes were universally recognized, such as ponche. So, this month, I’m including my friends’ traditional favorites. 

Romeritos Navideños

Very popular in central Mexico, this is my friend Sof’s favorite. It has been around since the arrival of the Spanish in Mexico, and is still a favorite of many a Mexican family today. Originally known as revoltijo (jumble), it’s a delicious, hearty stew everyone will love. It may seem like a lot of work, but it is worth it.

This recipe is made in three parts, but it is well worth the effort. 

Ingredients:

Romeritos and mole sauce

• 3 cups of washed and dried romeritos (seepweed)
• 2 cups of baby potatoes, cooked, peeled and halved
• 1 ½ cups of cooked nopales, diced
• ⅔ cup of sun-dried shrimp (camarón seco)
• 1 cup mole poblano sauce (homemade or store-bought)
• ⅔ chicken broth to prepare the mole sauce
• 1 tablespoon of salt

Tortitas

• 4 large eggs
• ⅔ cup dried shrimp powder (camarón en polvo or camarón molido)
• Oil for frying

Part 1 — making the romeritos and mole

1. Soak the dried shrimp in hot water for 20 minutes. While they soak, wash the romeritos and cover with water in a pot. Bring to a boil, then remove from the stovetop to prevent further cooking. Drain in a colander. 
2. Mix the mole and two cups of chicken broth in a large saucepan to form a paste. Cook on medium heat until the fat floats to the surface. Then reduce the heat and simmer until it’s a nice paste, not too runny, as the romeritos will release more liquid while cooking.

Part 2 – making the shrimp patties

1. Heat the oil over medium heat. While it’s heating, use an electric mixer to whip the egg whites into stiff peaks. Add in the egg yolks and gently mix. When mixed, add in the shrimp powder and fold through.
2. Place a large spoonful of the mixture into the hot oil to form the patties. Fry for a couple of minutes on each side until lightly golden, then place on a paper towel to drain. 

Part 3 – assembling the main dish

1. Drain the soaking shrimp. Remove skin, heads and tails, and add them to the pot with the mole. Add in the potatoes, nopales and romeritos, and mix. Simmer together for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to combine. 
2. Serve on a plate with two to three shrimp patties on the side.

Bacalao (salted cod)

This exquisite blend of flavors is my friend Renata’s favorite. Her family makes it every year and has done so for generations. It’s better the next day, so you may want to make this one on Christmas Eve for serving on Christmas Day. Plus, the cod needs hours to soak, so it’s easier that way. Or if you want to make it on Christmas, you can soak the cod for eight hours overnight, making it nice and tender.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 ½ pounds (lbs) of salted cod
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2 lbs of tomatoes
• 1 pound of small potatoes
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4 red peppers, roasted and cut into strips
• 1 cup parsley, chopped
• ¾ cup pitted olives
• 6 pickled guëro peppers (banana peppers) — jalapeños are fine if you can’t find guëros
• ⅓ cup raisins
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
• 1 ½ teaspoons of dried Mexican oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste — remember the cod came salted, so taste the sauce before adding more salt. 

Soak and prepare the cod

1. Cover the cod in water and rinse three times. On the third rinse, the water should be clear. Leave it to soak in this water for six to eight hours. Once soaked, it will be tender. Drain and add to a pot, then cover in clean, cold water. Simmer over medium heat until tender, about seven minutes.
2. Drain and set aside. Keep some of the cooking liquid to add to the sauce later. 

Tomato sauce

• Roast the tomatoes on a hot griddle for about 10 minutes while the fish is cooling. Once the tomatoes are roasted, add them to a blender and process until smooth. Then pour through a sieve to remove excess seeds. 
• Once the fish is cool enough to handle, shred it finely.

Make the bacalao

• Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Sauteé the onion until translucent, then add garlic and cook for a couple of more minutes. Pour in the tomato sauce and simmer for five to seven minutes to allow the flavors to infuse.
• Add the shredded cod, and once it’s simmering again, slowly add the olives, raisins and capers. Cook for a few minutes so that the flavors blend, then add the potatoes.
• Bring back up to simmering, then add the peppers, oregano and parsley, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remember to taste the sauce first; it may not need any more salt. Simmer for 10–15 minutes until the sauce thickens. 
• Serve and enjoy! 

Mexican Apple Salad

Along with the delicious Christmas punch known as ponche, this is my friend Ana’s favorite. A heavenly mix of fruits and cream, it is an eagerly anticipated holiday delight. This recipe has been passed down from Renata’s abuela to her aunt, who shared it with me. Something I’m very grateful for! 

Ingredients:

• 8 yellow apples, cut into small cubes
• 1 can of pineapple in syrup, cut into small cubes
• 1 can of peaches in syrup, cut into small cubes
• Pecans, chopped (or your preferred nut)
• 500 milliliters heavy cream (crema para batir)
• Red cherries, sliced (optional)
• White/yellow raisins (optional)
• Peeled, seedless grapes (optional)

Make the salad

1. Combine apples, drained peaches and pineapple cubes (save the syrup of each) in a large bowl. Add the nuts.
2. Mix cream with two tablespoons of syrup from the canned fruits. Stir into the fruit mixture, along with any optional add-ins you’d like, adjusting the syrup for desired creaminess.
3. Chill for three to four hours before serving.

¡Feliz Navidad y Buen Provecho!

Mexico Correspondent for International Living, Bel is an experienced writer, author, photographer and videographer with 500+ articles published both in print and across digital platforms. Living in the Mexican Caribbean for over 7 years now, she’s in love with Mexico and has no plans to go anywhere anytime soon.