One of the Signature events (and one of my favorites) at Capella Ixtapa is the cooking class with Chef Miguel Baltazar. After our journey though the market with Chef Miguel Baltazar navigating us to the best peppers, green tomatoes, onions, seafood and other local favorite produce, we arrive back at the resort. After Jackie and I take a quick refresh with some chilled hibiscus infused Gran Centenario Tequila and mango freshly sliced and sent to our room.
Then it is time to start cooking! We arrive at the hotel bar area, which has been converted, to a mini kitchen with flattop cooking surface on the left and large table in the middle with a kaleidoscope of the beautiful produce we gathered in stainless steel bowls. Jackie and I are particularly excited because we get to wear sombreros, which Jackie had wanted to find before we left the States.
Adorned in our new accessories we listen closely to Chef Miguel explain that first we will be making a warm salsa with the green tomatillos. This salsa requires the use of the hot griddle as the tomatillos, jalapenos and onions need to be slightly blackened and cooked all the way though.
We place all the tomatillos on the griddle and they start dancing a little bit. We leave these to cook and begin making guacamole, yummm! For the guacamole we use one and a half avocados, one lime’s juice salt and a little bit of white onion. Chef recommends to use a half an avocado per person when you’re making guacamole, but when he’s making it for himself, he uses 3 or 4! Chef even taught me how to slice the onion with no more tears, a nifty little trick I have used a couple of times already.
It is then on to the delicious sailfish ceviche Chef explains that the lime we are adding will cook the fish with the citric acid we then add sliced habanero and oregano, and the secret ingredient… is salt water.
Chef teaches us how to make our own saltwater using the sea salt that is derived from the seas of Ixtapa; a few pinches and a quick whisk create the perfect combination of sea salt to water for the best tasting ceviche possible.
We then waited until everything looked cooked and both devour large scoops on the fresh made tortilla chips.
Chef explains how he earned his culinary degree in France, and that the biggest difference in French cuisine and Mexican cuisine is that French cooking is so complicated due to the lack of natural flavor in their produce, where Mexican cooking is simple and only a few ingredients are needed to bring out the natural flavors. “It’s all about balance,” says Chef.
We made a few more dishes but I hate to spoil the surprise. I felt a great sense of accomplishment at the end of our delicious cooking adventure and would highly recommend cooking class as a not to miss activity at Capella Ixtapa!
Cheers!
Want to try some of these recipes on your own? Here are
Salsa verde asada
300 g Tomatillos
150 g Onion
20 g Jalapeño peppers
15 g Cilantro
Grill the tomatillos, onion and jalapeños. When everything looks almost burned, put in the
blender and mix. It can be done in the molcajete.
Taste and seasoning and garnish with cilantro leaves.
Salsa verde cruda
300 g Tomatillos
150 g Onion
20 g jalapeño peppers
15 g Cilantro
Blend everything together with lime juice, seasoning with salt and garnish with avocado.
Guacamole
300 g of avocado
The juice of 1 lime
Salt
10 g White onion
Mash the avocados, and add the lime juice, and the chopped onion, seasoning with salt.
Tiritas
150 g of sailfish/mahi mahi
100g of red onion
1⁄2 of habanero pepper
3 limes
Salt
Oregano
Slice the fish and the red onion and mix together, add the sliced habanero, squeeze the limes and
mix. Seasoning with salt and oregano. Wait until everything looks cooked and enjoy
Pescado a la talla
1 whole fish (could be red snapper, seabass or ronco)
1 spoon of mayonnaise
2 pieces of tamoto
2 pieces of guajillo pepper
1⁄4 of onion
2 garlic gloves
100 g of pico de gallo.
Sautee the tomato, garlic, onion and guajillo pepper, blend them with the mayonnaise, oregano,
cilantro and lime juice.
Grill the fish on the skin side, add the marinate and cook only on the skin side.
Garnish with the Mexican salsa and fresh made corn tortillas.
