Culantro- and shrimp hors d'ouvres

Enjoy colorful and flavorful Culantro- and shrimp hors d'ouvres with your drink or as a tapas. Wheat tortillas filled with culantro, shrimp, and peppery arugula, sliced into pinwheels, are a true explosion of flavors. If you're like me and always have a jar of culantro sauce ready in the fridge, these tasty treats come together in no time.

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You will need

7 oz (200 g) Culantro, rinse and cut off the root, and chop roughly. Can be replaced with double weight (14 oz - 400 g) of cilantro leaves and stems but the taste will differ and be less intense *See note 1 below

¼ cup (60 ml) garlic, chopped

1 tsp (5 ml) ground white pepper

Just over 1 cup (250 ml) canola oil

2 tbsp (30 ml) lime juice

2 tbsp (30 ml) rice vinegar

2 tsp (10 ml) honey

1 ½ teaspoons (7 ½ ml) red chili (amount depending on heat), chopped

1 tbsp (15 ml) fish sauce

2 tsp (10 ml) sesame oil

1 tsp (5 ml) Chinese five spice powder

½ tsp (2 ½ ml) MSG ** See note 2 below

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Other ingredients

3 large wheat tortillas

1 cup of mayonnaise, homemade or Hellmann’s

3 handfuls of Arugula

9 oz peeled shrimp, roughly chopped

¾ - 1 ¼ cups Culantro sauce

Red chili, thinly sliced

How to make it

Start by making the Culantro sauce:

1. Place culantro (or coriander as an option) in a strong blender/food processor.

7 oz (200 g) Culantro, rinse and cut off the root, and chop roughly. As a less good option it can be replaced with double the weight (14 oz - 400 g) of cilantro leaves and stems

2. Add garlic, white pepper, canola oil, lime juice, rice vinegar, honey, chili, fish sauce, sesame oil, five spice powder, and MSG.

¼ cup (60 ml) garlic, chopped

1 tsp (5 ml) ground white pepper

Just over 1 cup (250 ml) canola oil

2 tbsp (30 ml) lime juice

2 tbsp (30 ml) rice vinegar

2 tsp (10 ml) honey

1 ½ teaspoons (7 ½ ml) red chili (amount depending on heat), chopped

1 tbsp (15 ml) fish sauce

2 tsp (10 ml) sesame oil

1 tsp (5 ml) Chinese five spice powder

½ tsp (2 ½ ml) MSG

3. Blend until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Keep leftover Culantro sauce in a clean airtight glass jar for up to a month.

Sea salt.

Freshly ground black pepper

Assembly

4. Spread about 1/3 of the mayonnaise on each tortilla. Evenly sprinkle a handful of Arugula over the tortillas.

3 large wheat tortillas

1 cup of mayonnaise, homemade or Hellmann’s

3 handfuls of Arugula

5. Mix the shrimp with the Culantro sauce and distribute the mixture evenly over the tortillas.

9 oz peeled shrimp, roughly chopped

¾ - 1 ¼ cups Culantro sauce

6. Roll up the tortillas and slice into pinwheels. Top each piece with a slice of red chili.

Red chili, thinly sliced

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Tip and tricks

Note 1: Culantro, or long coriander, has many names (including chadon beni, cimarrón, recao (Puerto Rico), chardon béni (France), Mexican coriander, samat, bandhaniya, long coriander, Burmese coriander, sawtooth coriander, Shadow Beni (Caribbean), and ngò gai (Vietnam)). It is used in Caribbean, Latin American, and Asian dishes. Culantro is not the same as cilantro/coriander, although they are similar in flavor. Culantro (Eryngium foetidum) has a much more intense and pungent flavor that is more distinct compared to coriander. It provides a deep, aromatic taste that enhances other flavors in various dishes. If you cannot find culantro, you can substitute it with coriander, but the depth of flavor will not be the same. I buy it at Asian Markets in Stockholm. Ask your local Asian store or Mexican grocery store if they can order it. If you make the culantro sauce, it keeps well in the fridge in an airtight glass jar for up to a month. It truly goes well with everything, such as fried chicken or fish, canapés, as a dip, and much, much more.

Note 2: MSG, also known as monosodium glutamate or simply glutamate, is the umami flavor in powdered form. MSG is a very common seasoning and flavor enhancer in Asian cuisine and goes well with everything. Chemically, it is the salt of glutamic acid, produced microbiologically through fermentation. Only very small doses are needed to enhance the flavor.