Cucarachas Del Mar

Jan 28, 2012 Puerto Escondido, Oax. Mx

   One of the pleasures of Puerto is eating regional Costeno delicacies offered by the locals . The younger three generations of our favorite restarant-Palapa family on Carizalillo ( Car-ee-za-lee-yo) Cove and Beach abandoned great-grandma today and went hunting for 'Cucarachas Del Mar'. La Donya the matriarch  is in her cane-carrying seventies, and was cooking and serving customers alone-bien estressada!- while two generations of the young-uns were scampering around the point  crabbing over course, slippery rocks whilst waves broke upon them.
      No not bugs or beatles, Cucarachas are  a snail-like creature with a thin clam-like shell  The men  scraped, pulled and opened the narrow shells of  the  creatures to remove what they referred to as 'la lenguas' or the tongues. Apparently the Cucarachas move like snails, with slow, fleshy volition. The pale-pinkish flesh is similar to tender octopus or squid, and when garnished with lime and eaten fresca-sushi style tastes like a distillate of the sea: salty, sweet and rich! They also prepared a Cucaracha tomato cocktail with jalapenos but unfortunately those flavors although delicious over-powered the subtile natural flavor.
      Donya also prepared her version of 'Llevos Rancheros' with a black bean sauce, and two eggs layered between thickish home-made corn tortillas and garnished with a piquant green salsa. Wow! Packed with rich flavor. The black beans must be at least a day old, fairly cooked down with some tender beans remaining.
Buen Provecho! Happy Eating!
Abrazos.
Esteban