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Try Pajarito's Trout Tostada, Blue Crab Revueltas For Cinco De Mayo

One of St. Paul's newest restaurants, Pajarito, is sharing recipes for the Cinco de Mayo holiday!

Cured Trout

Ingredients
1 cup salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. crushed red pepper
1 Tbsp. ancho powder
1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
1 Tbsp. black pepper
4 Sea Trout or Arctic Char fillets, pin-boned

Directions
Combine top seven ingredients. Place in an airtight container.

Place two fillets in a 2 inch hotel pan or cake pan, skin side down. Cover each with 1/2 cup of the cure. Place the other two fillets on top of the salted ones, skin side down. Cover each with 1/2 cup of the cure.

Cover with plastic and place in the refrigerator. Allow to sit for 24 hours, turn fillets so the top ones are on the bottom, place back in the cooler and allow to sit for another 24 hours.

After 48 hours remove the trout from the pan, they should be darker in color and have a firm texture. Rinse off the cure, and place on a flour sack dish towel to dry.

Starting at the tail end, on a very shallow bias, slice the fish as thin as possible and place in a single layer on parchment paper that has been lightly oiled. Continue to slice until the fillet is gone. Wrap any un-used trout in parchment paper and then plastic wrap and place in the freezer. Will keep for up to two weeks.

Avocado Puree

Ingredients
4 avocados, hulled and seeded
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 serrano chiles, stemmed
Juice of 2 Limes
Salt to taste

Directions
Place the serranos and limes in a blender and puree until smooth.

Add the salt and one avocado, puree until smooth.

Add the garlic, puree.

Finish with the rest of the avocados and add just enough water to allow the avocado to work through the blades of the blender.

Season to taste and place in an airtight container.

Pickled Red Onions

Ingredients
5 red onions, sliced
1 Habanero, split
1 Tbsp. allspice berries
1 Tbsp. cumin Seeds
3 bay leaves
3 cup vinegar
2 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 Tbsp. salt
2 red beets, peeled and sliced

Directions
Combine all of the ingredients, minus the onions, in a medium non-reactive sauce pot.

Bring to a boil, remove from the heat and allow to steep for 10 minutes.

Pour through a chinois, to strain out the spices, over the onions while the brine is still warm-hot. Remove the bayleaf, beets and habanero from the spices, and add to the onions. Place in an airtight container.

Allow to sit over night to pickle.

To Plate
4 yellow corn tortillas, fried crispy into tostada shells
2 radishes, sliced thin
12 oz. Trout, sliced thin
1/2 cup avocado Serrano puree
1 bunch cilantro, leaves picked
1/4 cup pickled red onions
2 Heads Frisee, cleaned of large stems and picked
2 limes, cut into wedges
1/4 cup salmon roe
EVO
Maldon Sea Salt

Directions
Place a quarter sized dollop of the avocado puree in the middle of four plates.

Split the remaining avocado puree equally between the four tostada shells and smear with the back of a spoon to cover the tostadas.

Place on top of the dollop in the middle of the plates with the puree facing up, using the puree on the plate to glue the tostada down so it doesn't slide around.

Making rosettes of the trout, divide it equally among the four plates, place it around the tostadas.

Place the frisee in a bowl add the juice of two lime wedges, a small amount of EVO and salt to taste, being aware that the trout and the roe are both salty. Divide among the plates and place on top of the trout.

Place 1 Tbsp. of pickled red onions on each tostada and 1 Tbsp. of salmon roe, squeeze the juice of  one wedge onto each tostada.

Garnish with a few cilantro sprigs.

Drizzle with EVO and sprinkle with sea salt.

Finish with two lime wedges each.

Blue Crab Revueltas
Serves 4

Ingredients
12 Eggs
1/2 cup Half and Half
1 shallot, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 Fresno chile, minced
4 Roma tomatoes, diced
6 scallions, chiffonade
1 cup tortilla chips, crushed
1 lb. blue crab, picked
Salt to taste
4 Tbsp. charred scallion oil
4 Tbsp. Tajin mascarpone
4 Tbsp. salmon roe
Butter for cooking, approx. 1 stick

Directions
Combine the eggs and half and half, whisk together and set aside.

Place the butter in a non-stick pan over medium heat, melt. Add the shallots and tomatoes, cook for two minutes until wilted. Add the chiles and saute for one minute. Add the eggs, and lower the heat to medium low. Allow the eggs to set a little on the bottom.

Using a rubber spatula scrape the eggs into large sheets. Add the crushed chips and gently mixed in. To finish, add the crab and gently fold in.

Spoon into four bowls.

Top with mascarpone, salmon roe, scallion oil and cilantro sprigs.

Tajin Mascarpone

Ingredients
2 cup mascarpone
2 Tbsp. tajin
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
2 tsp. lemon zest
2 Tbsp. heavy cream

Method
Combine all ingredients. Place in an airtight container.

Charred Scallion Oil

Ingredients
1 bunch scallions, charred
1 bunch scallions, raw
1 bunch Italian parsley, rough chop
2 cup canola oil
2 Tbsp. salt

Method
Toss the first bunch of scallions in a little oil and salt. Place on the flat top and cook until caramelized and wilted. They should be browned and some-what charred.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Rough chop.

Place all of the ingredients in the bowl of a lender and puree until smooth.

Place in a chinois and allow to drip through. Do not shake or force the puree through.

Discard the solids and keep the scallion oil cold. Place in a squeeze bottle and cover.

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