Crab House Restaurant Cancun

My colleagues keep talking about this Crab House Place and how nice it is meant to be, so I went to see for myself.

Located right opposite the Casamagna Marriott Hotel by the Nichupte Lagoon, this makes a perfect alternative once you've run out of Restaurants in your Hotel.
If like me, you love Seafood, what better place to eat it, then overlooking a Lagoon.
Jesus my waiter tells me that in the evening the Crocodiles come to the little Marina right in front looking for food.
I suggested maybe they would like some tourists, but he insisted they like chicken better.

Once seated comfortably on the terrace, another waiter brings a large platter with fresh seafood. The catch of the day he calls it. On it there is a huge Lobster tail, some filleted fish, large Shrimps and various Crab Claws. 

Stone Crab is the local speciality here, always fresh, never frozen I'm being told, and it comes in 3 sizes and highly recommended.

The waiter explains that the Club House Seafood Platter for 2 can also be done for one. Well he must have read my mind!

Grilled Fish (on the right), cracked Stone Crab (right in front), Alaskan Crab Claws (the long ones on top), grilled Lobster tail meat (on the left) and Butterflied Shrimp (top right) served with some Rice and steamed Veggies as well as Garlic Butter and uhm Butter.
Then Jesus read my mind again and brought me some fresh Habanero Sauce and Lime Wedges.

Once I finished I wanted to start again from the beginning.

I will come again. Just have to save up some dollars. You guessed correctly, it wasn't cheap. But worth every penny especially with the excellent attention to detail and friendly banter from the Waiters. This is a restaurant where you are made to feel like you are having a wonderful time as well as eating wonderful food and admiring a great view.

Here is their website in case you are salivating now: 

Crab House Cancun

Achiote Chicken and Black Bean Salad

Another fantastic ingredient I found in Mexico is Achiote Paste. It is the main flavouring for Cochinita Pibil, a dish that I discovered yet again at the Breakfast Buffet in our Hotel. It does seem that this is the perfect place for real local Food, as Restaurants are anything but Mexican at the Cancun Hotel Strip.
Cochinita Pibil is Pork coated in the Achiote Paste, wrapped in Banana Leaf and roasted in a firepit underground.

Achiote paste is made with Annato, a red seed from the Achiote Tree, that is used as a food colouring all over the world. Just check the cheese in your fridge. It probably has Annanto listed under the ingredients. Here it is used for it's deep and mysterious peppery flavour and is mixed with Oranges and Limes to make a smooth coating for meat.

I'm using this Paste today to give some chicken breasts a Mexican makeover.

Ingredients:
3 small Chicken Breasts (130g each)
1 tbs Achiote Paste (sold in block form)

Juice of 1/2 Orange

Juice of 1 Lime

1 Clementine, segmented and diced roughly

180g cooked Black Beans

5 Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
1/2 of each Red, Yellow and Green Bell Pepper, diced roughly

1 red Onion, diced

1 long red Chilli, diced

1/2 Lime (juice)

1 Garlic Clove, finely chopped

1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sea Salt and Black Pepper

Blend the Achiote Paste with the Orange and Lime Juice in a food processor until smooth. Marinate the Chicken breasts in this Paste for a few hours.

Spray the Peppers with cooking spray and place into a 200C oven. At the same time the Chicken breasts can join the oven in a separate tray. Roast both for 20 minutes.

After that cover the breasts with tinfoil and leave to rest while making the salad.

Simply combine the Tomatoes, Clementine, Onion, Chilli, Black Beans, Roasted Peppers, Garlic, Olive Oil and Lime Juice and season with Sea Salt and Pepper.
The Chicken can be served hot as it is or left to cool down. It's lovely either way.