Fideo Del Mar Recipe

Bring 6 cups of water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add 1 tsp salt. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, warm 2 tbs olive oil. Add the fideo (broken into 2-inch pieces if desired) and toast, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 3–5 minutes. Carefully add 2 cups of the boiling salted water to the toasted fideo (or transfer toasted fideo to the boiling pot) and reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cook fideo until al dente, about 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally. If pasta absorbs water too quickly, add more boiling water in 1/4 cup increments until tender. Drain and set aside, reserving about 1/2 cup cooking liquid.

Season and Sear Seafood

Pat shrimp and scallops dry with paper towels. Season lightly with salt and black pepper and toss shrimp with 1 tbs lime juice. Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tbs unsalted butter. When butter is foaming, add scallops spaced apart and sear without moving for 1.5–2 minutes until a golden crust forms. Flip and cook another 30–60 seconds until just opaque. Remove scallops and keep warm. Add shrimp to the same pan and sear 1–1.5 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Remove shrimp. Gently warm the pre-cooked snow crab claws in the skillet for 1–2 minutes to heat through; avoid overcooking.

Finish Seafood

After removing seafood, add minced garlic (2 tsp) to the pan and sauté 20–30 seconds until fragrant, scraping up brown bits. Add remaining 1 tbs butter and 1 tbs lime juice, swirl to make a quick pan sauce, then return shrimp and scallops to the pan to coat briefly. Turn off heat and cover to keep warm. Season to taste.

Prepare Pasilla (or Ranchero) Base

If using pasilla chiles: toast the dried chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 30–60 seconds per side until aromatic (do not burn). Transfer to a bowl and cover with hot water; soak 10–15 minutes until softened. Remove stems and seeds. Reserve soaking liquid. If making ranchero: char tomatillos (or tomatoes) under a broiler or on a hot cast-iron skillet until blackened on the outside. Roughly chop or halve.

Make the Sauce

Heat 1 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and sauté until translucent, about 5–7 minutes. Add 1 tsp minced garlic and cook 30 seconds. If using pasilla: transfer softened pasilla chiles (drained) to a blender with 1 cup stock and blend until smooth. If using ranchero: add roasted tomatillos/tomatoes to the blender with 1 cup stock and blend. Pour the blended chile/tomatillo mixture into the saucepan. Stir in 1/2 tsp ground cumin and 1/2 tsp dried oregano. Bring to a gentle simmer and reduce 3–4 minutes.

Add Cream

Reduce heat to low and stir in 1 cup heavy cream and 1/4 cup Mexican crema or sour cream. Simmer gently (do not boil) for 3–5 minutes to thicken slightly. If sauce is too thick, thin with reserved pasta cooking liquid or reserved chile soaking liquid, 1–2 tbs at a time. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Return the drained fideo to the large sauté pan or to the sauce pan with the cream sauce. Add the sauce and toss gently to combine, adding up to 1/4–1/2 cup reserved pasta water to loosen and coat the pasta evenly. Taste and adjust seasoning. Gently fold in the seared shrimp, scallops, and warmed snow crab claws, keeping some whole pieces for plating. Warm through 1–2 minutes over low heat so seafood is heated but not overcooked.

Serve

Divide Fideo del Mar among 2–3 plates (see servings). Garnish with chopped cilantro, chopped chives or green onions, and a sprinkle of crumbled queso fresco or cotija. Serve with lime wedges on the side for squeezing. Enjoy immediately.