Tortitas de Camarón con Nopales (Mexican Dried Shrimp Patties)

Tortitas de Camarón con Nopales guajillo chile sauce

5 (5 ratings)

Tortitas de Camarón con Nopales (Mexican Dried Shrimp Patties)

Tortitas de Camarón con Nopales are light, fluffy dried shrimp patties served with tender nopales in a guajillo chile sauce. This traditional Mexican Lenten dish gets its airy texture from whipped egg whites folded with dried shrimp powder.

Prep Time20

Cook Time45

Total Time1 5

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings:

Author: Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack | Muy Bueno

Ingredients

1 pound nopales (cactus paddles) cleaned, spines removed, and chopped
4 cups water
½ white onion
8 dried guajillo chiles
1 garlic clove
salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
8 eggs
1 cup dried shrimp powder
Vegetable oil for frying
cilantro
cooked shrimp optional

Instructions

Place the diced nopales in a stock pot with 4 cups of water and onion, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and let nopales cook for approximately 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat, discard onion, drain and rinse nopales with cold water and set them aside.
Remove stems, seeds, and veins from the chile pods. Place in a colander and rinse well with cool water.
Add the chiles to a large pot and add enough water so they are just covered. Bring water to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Drain cooked pods and allow time to cool down before blending. Discard water.
Fill blender with 1/2 cup of water, chile pods, garlic, and salt to taste. Blend until smooth. Add more water, if needed.
Strain sauce through a fine sieve to remove skins and seeds; discard skins and seeds.
In a stockpot, heat the olive oil and lightly cook the nopales for about 1 minute. Add the guajillo chile sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, add the oregano, and season with salt.
Using an electric hand mixer beat the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form.
In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks and dried shrimp powder. Gently fold the yolk mixture into the whipped egg whites, taking care not to deflate them.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop a spoonful of the shrimp mixture into the hot oil and gently shape it into a patty with a wooden spoon. Spoon a little hot oil around the edges to help it cook evenly.
Fry until golden brown about 2 to 3 minutes each side, turning once. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
Arrange the Tortitas de Camarón on a serving platter and spoon the guajillo chile sauce and nopales over the top and serve with cilantro and cooked shrimp, if using.

Notes

Jarred nopales: For a shortcut, you can use jarred nopales instead of fresh. Drain and rinse them well before adding them to the guajillo chile sauce.
Optional shrimp: For a heartier dish, add whole cooked shrimp when serving.
Chile options: I usually make the sauce with guajillo chiles, but New Mexico or California chiles also work well.

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