Peppercorn Press

Tikin Xik

This was one of my favorite dishes from our vacation. After spending a good part of the day taking our daughter all over the resort to look at parrots, cockatoos, flamingos and canaries, oh my! we were beaten by the heat and looked forward to a delicious meal. As luck would have it, we were seated right next to the string trio that was entertaining that night. We started with very tall, very cold glasses of Sangria. With the wine and the music we thought that it couldn’t get any better. Then dinner was served and proved us wrong.

Dinner was Tikin-xik, a very widespread traditional Yucatan fish dish. Its ancestry goes back to ancient times.

The Yucatan Peninsula is well known for food prepared with Annatto seeds. The seeds, sometimes called Roucou, come from Achiote trees which are native to the tropical regions of the Americas. Achiote is derived from the Aztec (Nahuatl) word for shrub – Achiotl, and has been used and grown since the pre-Hispanic times in Yucatan food. It is commonly found in Caribbean and Latin American cuisines – both for flavor and as a coloring agent.

The aroma of Annatto seeds is somewhat peppery with a suggestion of nutmeg, and flavor as moderately sweet and peppery. Annatto is assembled from the red-like pulp that surrounds the achiote seed. It is used in foods like margarine, butter, smoked fish, rice and various cheeses such as brie and cheddar.

Cooking with Annato Seeds

For cooking, a paste is created by mixing the annatto seeds with bitter orange, vinegar, chili peppers, garlic, cumin, oregano and black pepper. This paste, known as “recado rojo,” is iconic of both Yucatecan and Mexican food in today’s cuisine, although it’s original preparation is unknown.

Combining fish with the annatto paste produces one of the most magnificent dishes from Yucatecan cuisine – Tikin-Xik (TEEK’n-geek). Although this primitive dish had only been accessible within the region at food stands along the coast, it has made a comeback since the mid-1990’s with the help of great chefs, launching the revival of Tikin-Xik as definitive dish from Southeastern Mexico.

Annatto Seed

Modern renditions of the dish have replaced the fish with shrimp. The contemporary dish has received plenty of prestige and has been featured and celebrated in culinary festivals throughout Mexico, Spain and the U.S.

The rejuvenation of Tikin-Xik has heightened another quintessential dish to Mexican cuisine recognized throughout the culinary world. The flavor has a complex yet simple balance amazing chefs, critics and foodies alike, while being a fount of honor within the Yucatan whose achiote and traditional recipe are in great demand.

TIKIN XIK RECIPE:

The variation that we were served at LaNao Restaurant uses shrimp instead of whole fish.

Ingredients:

2-3 lb. Jumbo Shrimp

3 garlic cloves

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. cumin seeds

Juice of 1 blood orange

2 tsp. Annatto Seeds (available in most specialty food stores)

Pinch of ground cinnamon

1 tomato, sliced

1/2 onion, sliced

1-2 chiles, seeded, roasted and cut in strips

Salt and pepper to taste

Banana leaves

Preparation:

Clean and devein the shrimp. Blend oregano, cumin, garlic, annatto seeds, cinnamon and orange juice. Rub this paste mixture all over the shrimp. Marinate for one hour.

Use one banana leaf for every three shrimp. Top each leaf with tomato, onion, chiles slices and of course shrimp. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Wrap the leaf tightly using bamboo skewer soaked in water to hold it closed. Place leaf bundles on grill over medium heat and cook for 3-5 minutes. Grilling time may vary depending on the size of your shrimp.

If you can’t find banana leaves, wrap in any flavorful leaf, or put some fennel or bay leaves around the shrimp and wrap in aluminum foil.

To serve, simply place the banana leaf bundles on plates and remove the skewers. Gently unfold the leaf to expose the shrimp.

Serve with white rice.

The perfect wine accompaniment to this dish is a mildly acidic white, although a fresh light red with balanced acidity would also work.

Find other great Mexican recipes in our newly released Mexican Recipe Collection.

Mexican Recipe Collection from Peppercorn Press