Hispanic Heritage · Cuba

Villa Clara

Santa Clara · Remedios · Caibarién · Sagua la Grande · Placetas · Camajuaní

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Cangrejo enchilado de Caibarién

Descubre

At Caibarién, on Villa Clara’s north coast, crab provides a starting point for exploring seafood cooking. Cangrejo enchilado combines the shellfish with tomato, peppers, garlic, and wine in a sauce meant to be enjoyed with rice.

La Gente

Prepare the crab as the recipe directs and give the sofrito time before combining them. Eating shell-on seafood can slow the meal in a welcome way. Put out napkins and a bowl for shells, and let the sauce do its work.

Sabor

Villa Clara cooks the central Cuban way, and Caibarién adds the sea: sofrito of onion, pepper, garlic, tomato, cumin, oregano, bay, and dry wine, over crab. Sour orange on the shellfish. No heat.

Spice DNA · Acid medium · Herb medium · Sweet low · Smoke low · Heat none

Seasonings to explore

Minced Garlic in Olive Oil. In the sofrito and on the crab. Adds a savory garlic base.
Sour Orange Marinade 20. A splash on the crab before it goes in.
Cumin Ground. In the sauce.
Oregano Whole. In the sauce.
Bay Leaves Whole. In the sauce.
Black Pepper Ground. On the crab.
Onion Powder. With the fresh onion.
Sazón Tropical. For the color.

From your market: three pounds of blue crabs, cleaned and halved, or a pound of crab meat if you are not up for the shells, an onion, a green pepper, tomato sauce, vino seco, and white rice. Badia does not sell the crab. The fish market on Flagler does, in season.

Cocina

Cangrejo enchilado de Caibarién

Blue crab stewed in Cuban sofrito with tomato, wine, and sour orange. Eaten with the hands, rice on the side.

Serves 4

3 lb blue crabs, cleaned and halved, or 1 lb lump crab meat
2 tbsp Badia Sour Orange Marinade
½ tsp Badia Black Pepper, ground
3 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 tbsp Badia Minced Garlic in Olive Oil
½ tsp Badia Onion Powder
1 tsp Badia Cumin, ground
½ tsp Badia Oregano, whole
1 Badia Bay Leaf, whole
½ tsp Badia Sazón Tropical
1 cup tomato sauce
⅓ cup dry white wine (vino seco)
Salt

Season the crab. Toss the halves with the sour orange and pepper.
Sofrito. Warm the oil. Cook the onion and pepper with the garlic and onion powder until soft. Add cumin, oregano, bay, and sazón.
Sauce. Add the tomato sauce and wine. Simmer 10 minutes.
Crab. Add the crabs, cover, and simmer 12 to 15 minutes, turning once, until the shells are red and the sauce clings. Crab meat instead: 4 minutes, folded in gently. Salt.
Serve with white rice, bread for the sauce, and napkins. Caibarién eats it by the water.

Pueblos de Villa Clara

Santa Clara · Remedios · Caibarién · Sagua la Grande · Placetas · Camajuaní · Encrucijada · Cifuentes · Santo Domingo · Ranchuelo · Manicaragua · Quemado de Güines · Corralillo