Mexican · Veracruz · soup

Chilpachole de Jaiba

Chilpachole de Jaiba reads umami 5.2, smoke 4.5 and citrus 4.4 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Mexican · Veracruz soup, about 1 hr 40 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 6.0 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 2.8 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 5.6 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 5.2 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 4.2 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.5 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 5.2 · Smoke 4.5 · Citrus 4.4 · Marine & Briny 4.3 · Sourness 4.1 · Heat 3.9 · Richness 3.9 · Salinity 3.7 · Allium 3.5 · Earthy 3.0 · Sweetness 2.3 · Warm Spice 2.3 · Fruity 1.8 · Bitterness 1.4 · Nutty 1.1 · Herbaceous 1.0 · Floral 0.9

What's in it (16)

• crabs — 1200 g
• water — 2000 g
• chipotle chile — 400 g
• ancho chiles — 300 g
• tomatoes — 600 g
• white onion — 180 g
• garlic — 15 g
• olive oil — 41 g
• epazote — 2 g
• masa harina — 60 g
• water — 120 g
• dried mexican oregano — 1 g
• allspice — 400 g
• salt — 10 g
• limes — 130 g
• chile de árbol — 100 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 40 min (1 hr 20 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 84.8 kcal, 6 g protein, 1.8 g fat, 14.8 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (7 steps)

1. Simmer the crab shells and legs in the water for 25 minutes to make a quick stock, then strain it and set the crab meat and bodies aside.
2. Toast the chipotles mecos and anchos on a dry comal, 20 seconds a side. The meco is a chipotle dried over a longer, smokier fire than the morita, and it is what gives chilpachole its bonfire note.
3. Soak them in hot water 20 minutes while you char the tomatoes, onion and garlic on the comal until blackened in patches, 12 minutes.
4. Blend the chiles and charred vegetables smooth, then fry the purée in the olive oil over medium heat 10 minutes until it darkens and thickens and stops smelling raw.
5. Add the strained stock, oregano and allspice and simmer 15 minutes.
6. Slide the crab bodies and claws in and poach them 8 minutes. If you want the broth thicker in the old style, whisk in the slaked masa and give it 5 more minutes until it lightly coats the spoon.
7. Add the epazote for the last 3 minutes, salt, and serve with lime and crumbled árbol. Eat it with your hands and a pile of napkins.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Blackened Shrimp Tacos with Chipotle Mayo — Tex-Mex
• Blackened Shrimp Tacos with Cajun Slaw — Cajun/Creole · Cajun
• Cajun Blackened Salmon with Remoulade — Cajun/Creole · Cajun
• Blackened Tuna Steaks with Avocado Salsa — American
• Harissa Roasted Salmon with Yogurt Sauce — North African

Keep reading: what umami, smoke, citrus mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.