Blue Crab Tacos #SundaySupper

At least once a month, I dedicate one of my recipes to the #SundaySuper Movement, led by Isabel Foodie of the Family Foodie blog. Every Sunday, she invites bloggers who belong to her #SundaySupper group on Facebook to post dishes incorporating the week's theme. This week, the theme is Mexican Fiesta (honoring Mexican Independence Day). I'm happy to link Maryland Blue Crab Month and #SundaySupper with my Blue Crab Tacos recipe.

For this recipe I used Maryland back fin blue crab meat, which has a sweet pronounced crab flavor. It's perfect for tacos and for Mexican dishes in general. Making the sauce had me nervous. Crab and cheese don't have a natural affinity for one another. However, at the supermarket I happened upon queso fresco (a soft, mild un-aged cheese), and had a hunch that it would be mild enough to let the crab do the singing in the dish.

The sauce had to have a red tinge (sweet paprika and chili powder obliged). Then the sauce needed a hint of spicy sweetness to complement the sweet taste of Maryland blue crab. Cinnamon was the perfect addition. I rounded out those flavors with ground chipotle peppers and fresh lime juice. I didn't shred the lettuce for the tacos because it's messy and annoying when the lettuce falls. I used whole leaves of bib lettuce, and the effect was like a lettuce wrap wrapped in a soft taco. I must give praise to Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg for their amazing book, "The Flavor Bible." I use this wonderful reference again and again to conjure up flavors that are appropriate for the ingredients and the food's cultural roots. Join the Mexican Fiesta all day today by checking out the other bloggers' recipes below.

Creamy Queso Fresco Sauce with Edible Calendula Blossom

Blue Crab Tacos (Serves 4)

Ingredients

Queso Chipotle Sauce with Blue Crab
1 small onion, minced 
4 ounces queso fresco (fresh Mexican cheese)
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk (or cow's milk)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon dried, ground chipotle pepper
1/4 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
8 ounces back fin blue crab meat (set aside and refrigerate 4 teaspoons of crab)
Dried edible flowers (such as calendula), or fresh cilantro for garnishing

Directions

1. Add minced onion, queso fresco, milk, into blender.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Add spices, lime juice, and blend again.
4. Refrigerate sauce for 20 minutes. 
5. Add 6 ounces of crab meat to a glass bowl. 
6. Pour cool sauce over crab and mix very gently to avoid breaking up the crab meat. Refrigerate the sauced crab meat. 

Mix Crab Meat Gently with Sauce

Taco Filling
6 ounces of the blue crab with sauce
1 large avocado, cubed 
2 large tomatos, cubed
1 head organic bib lettuce, washed and spun dry
9 ounces white corn tortillas (soft)
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
4 teaspoons crab (the crab set aside without sauce)

Assembling the Tacos

1. Stack tortillas on a microwavable plate and cover loosely cover with plastic wrap or a microwave cover. Heat at 75% power for one minute.
2. Place two tortillas per person on taco holders or on plates. 
3. Place one leaf of bib lettuce on each tortilla shell.
4. Spoon on the tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro, and crab with sauce (about one heaping teaspoon of crab with sauce for each taco.
5. Top each taco with 1/2 teaspoon of the reserved crab meat.
6. Spoon the remaining sauce into ramekins and garnish with an edible flower or a small sprig of cilantro.

Check out these #SundaySupper Bloggers:

Sopas (soups), Ensaladas (salads), and Entremeses (starters)

• Chicken Tortilla Soup - The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
• Mexican Paint Soup - Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends
• Jalapeño Popper Dip - Chocolate Moosey
• Vegan Tortilla Soup - Galactosemia in PDX
• Texas Caviar - Ruffles and Truffles
• Cheese-Stuffed Jalapeños w/ a Tequila Sunrise - Mama's Blissful Bites
• Mini Taco Salads - Big Bear's Wife
• Mexican 7 Layer Dip & Chips - The Daily Dish Recipes
• Stoplight Salsa Reisipe - Family Foodie
• Tortilla Soup with Roasted Vegetables - Diabetic Foodie

La Comida (the food)

• Tamales - A Family Tradition - Doggie at the Dinner Table
• Fiesta in La Boca Enchiladas (Chicken & White Bean Enchiladas w/ Salsa Verde) - The Hand That Rocks the Ladle
• Enmoladas (Chicken Mole Enchiladas) - The Meltaways
• Gluten-Free Chicken Spinach Artichoke Enchiladas for #SundaySupper - Cooking Underwriter
• Mexican Fiesta for #SundaySupper: Chipotle Chicken & 3 Bean Quesadillas w/ Wasabi Guacamole and Mango Salsa - Chattering Kitchen
• Quick and Easy Fiesta Rice - Granny's Down Home Southern Cooking
• Carnitas - My Catholic Kitchen
• Tamale Pie - Noshing with the Nolands
• Eggs Motuleños - The Meltaways
• Grilled Fish Tacos with Black Bean and Corn Salsa - Small Wallet Big Appetite
• Carne Asada - Magnolia Days
• Carnitas Avocado Pizza with Chipotle Avocado Mayonnaise Drizzle - Damn Delicious
• Frijoles Charros (Cowboy Beans) - La Cocina de Leslie
• Puerco Pibil - girlichef
• BLT Quesadillas with Avocado Mayo - Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Chile Rellenos with Roasted Tomato Sauce - Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
• Tamales with Green Chili Sauce - Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts
• Beef and Vegetable Enchiladas - Hezzi D's Books and Cooks
• Chicken Con Queso - Momma's Meals
• Baked Flautas - Home Cooking Memories
• Chunky Aztec Chocolate Granola - What Smells So Good?
• Street Tacos Al Pastor - Sustainable Dad
• Shrimp Tacos - Pippi's in the Kitchen Again
• Chiles Rellenos with Ranchero Sauce - The Little Ferraro Kitchen
• Zippy Chipotle Shrimp & Mango Tostadas - Sue's Nutrition Buzz
• Pork Tacos - Tora's Real Food
• Chicken Fajitas - Cravings of a Lunatic
• Blue Crab Tacos - Pescetarian Journal
• Huevos Rancheros - Comfy Cuisine

Postres (desserts)

• Chocolate Cinnamon Flan - Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Caramel Apple Enchiladas for a Mexican Fiesta #SundaySupper - In the Kitchen with KP
• Chilli Chocolate Truffles - Happy Baking Days
• Horchata Ice Cream & Churro Brownies - Kwistin's Favorites
• Empanadas - In the Kitchen with Audrey and Maureen
• Plantain Fritters - From Fast Food to Fresh Food
• Fried Cinnamon Sugar Tortillas - The Watering Mouth

Bebidas (beverages)

• Beer Margaritas - That Skinny Chick can bake
• Hatch Chile Margarita - Shockingly Delicious
• Skinny & Spicy Watermelon Margaritas - I Run for Wine
• Refreshing Kiwi Lime Margarita - Mama Mommy Mom

Wine Pairings for Mexican Fiesta #SundaySupper - ENOFYLZ