Lent : Mexico’s Mystical Season

Lent is a period of great intensity in Mexico--a time of fervent gaiety and fierce solemnity, a time when the faithful commemorate Christ’s sacrifice with all the passion their souls can muster. Indeed, it is during these 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday that the spirit of my country’s Catholicism is at its most mystical and compelling.

Like many Catholics around the world, Mexicans feast and celebrate ecstatically during the days prior to Lent. Carnivals, costume parades, pageants and fiestas fill the streets and charge the air. We gorge ourselves on roast pig, lusty moles , fragrant homemade chorizos and other succulent flesh we will soon abstain from to show our religious devotion.

Though the days that follow are decidedly more serious, they are by no means dull or uneventful. Lent in my country is about passion--and passion pervades our every act as we march through this most holy season.

It all begins on Ash Wednesday, when the faithful bring palm leaves from the preceding year to the church to be burned. The ashes are then sketched on their foreheads in the shape of a cross. From this point on, the church never stops bustling. Its bells toll loudly throughout the days, and at times, brilliant fireworks beckon the faithful to services. The energy slowly builds to a crescendo as the days proceed to Holy Week, the week preceding Easter Sunday.

Some of my strongest childhood memories come from this time, when my family traveled to the home of my Aunt Elena in the inland state of Queretaro. Still imprinted on my memory is the mystical aura of her little neighborhood church. I remember wandering its cool, dark interior, my childish senses overwhelmed with the pungent smell of incense and the eerie presence of saints shrouded in deep purple cloaks of mourning. Absent was the comforting figure of Christ himself, which was hidden away to protect His inner light for Holy Week.

Also indelible is the memory of the wonderful foods that characterized Lent in my Aunt Elena’s household. After our long drive to Queretaro, she always rewarded us with delicate crepes tucked around pale-yellow squash blossoms, chile poblano and sweet corn.

But the real treat for us children after long hours at church was her capirotada , a dish reminiscent of French toast, which we soaked with spiced syrup and showered with raisins, nuts and fresh white cheese.

To this day in Mexico, the faithful abstain from eating flesh on Fridays during Lent and all through Holy Week. But there’s no fear of bland cuisine--generations of ever-adaptable Mexican cooks have simply considered this prohibition a challenge to work culinary wonders.

Seafood, of course, plays a starring role on the Lenten menu. It comes to the table whole, stewed or simmered in a savory broth familiarly known as vuelve a la vida (“back to life”) soup. The best version of this dish I’ve tasted comes from the small port town of Alvarado, where whole shrimp and chunks of red snapper are simmered in a heady fish stock spiked with tomatoes and garlic.

Lent is also the time when vegetables and dairy foods receive the royal treatment. On any given day or night, tables are loaded with earthy wild mushrooms roasted with garlic, tiny pickled quail eggs, cheese-stuffed chiles and flaky turnovers filled with young spinach, rich egg custard and shredded baby shark.

Nowadays, some worldly Mexican folks let the days of Lent pass by and consider Holy Week merely another opportunity to sunbathe in Acapulco. But there are still many who steadfastly observe this special time and allow its ritual and mysticism to embrace them. For all those Americans who share their devotion or have an appreciation of it, I invite you to partake in this important feast of life.

BACK TO LIFE SEAFOOD SOUP WITH CHILES AND TOMATOES 1/2 cup olive oil 3 medium onions, thinly sliced 4 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped 2 (28-ounce) cans whole plum tomatoes, drained and chopped 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper Salt 2 to 4 jalapeno or serrano chiles, cut julienne (remove seeds for less piquant flavor) Fish Stock 2 pounds red snapper or sea bass, cut into chunks 32 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 4 to 6 jalapeno chiles, seeded and cut julienne, for garnish

Heat olive oil in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until mixture is thick, about 20 minutes. Add oregano, pepper and salt to taste. Add chiles, then gradually add strained Fish Stock. (May be prepared to this point 1 day in advance).

Before serving, heat soup to simmer. Add red snapper and shrimp and cook 8 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve immediately with jalapeno garnish in bowl on side. Makes 8 servings.

Fish Stock 20 cups water 1 1/2 medium onions, quartered 6 cloves garlic 12 whole black peppercorns 2 teaspoons salt, about 4 fish heads 1 1/3 pounds red snapper or sea bass

Place water, onions, garlic, peppercorns and salt in medium stockpot and bring to boil. Add fish heads and simmer 40 minutes, then add red snapper and continue cooking 25 minutes. Remove from heat and strain stock, discarding solids.

Prepare this traditional Lenten appetizer at least a day before you plan to serve it. Pickled Eggs will keep refrigerated up to one month.

PICKLED EGGS 9 carrots, peeled, sliced on diagonal Water Salt 2 1/2 teaspoons black pepper 40 quail eggs or 12 chicken eggs 1/2 cup olive oil 8 cloves garlic 4 medium onions, thinly sliced 5 bay leaves 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried 2 sprigs fresh marjoram or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried 1 teaspoon ground allspice 4 1/2 cups white vinegar, boiled until reduced to 3 cups

Cook carrots in simmering water to cover with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Drain and set aside.

Boil eggs in water to cover about 6 minutes for quail eggs, 12 minutes for chicken eggs. Drain, then cover with ice water and set aside 20 minutes. Drain. Peel eggs and set aside.

Heat olive oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove garlic. Discard 4 cloves. Puree remaining 4 cloves garlic in blender or food processor and return to saucepan.

Add onions, bay leaves, thyme, marjoram, remaining 1 teaspoon pepper, allspice and salt to taste to saucepan. Stir in reduced vinegar. Reduce heat and simmer about 25 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste. Add peeled eggs and carrots and cook additional 10 minutes.

Store eggs with liquid in covered container in refrigerator overnight or longer.

To serve, remove eggs and carrots with slotted spoon and arrange on serving platter. Pass pickling liquid on side. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

RED SNAPPER WITH PARSLEY AND PRESSED POTATOES 1 (6 1/2-pound) whole fish (red snapper or sea bass), boned and cleaned Juice of 3 limes Salt Freshly ground pepper 1 1/2 onions, finely chopped 2 medium onions, thinly sliced 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley 1 1/2 pounds tender-ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced 3 tablespoons bread crumbs 1 to 1 1/2 cups olive oil Pressed Potatoes 1/2 cup butter, cut into small pieces

Sprinkle fish with lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Combine chopped onions, sliced onions, 1 cup parsley and tomatoes. Divide in half. Use 1/2 to stuff fish. Place fish on oiled baking sheet and arrange remaining 1/2 onion mixture on top of fish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over olive oil.

Bake at 400 degrees until fish flakes easily when pierced with fork, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. If fish begins to get too crisp during cooking, cover with foil.

Arrange Pressed Potatoes around fish on serving platter. Dot potatoes with butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining 3 tablespoons parsley. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Pressed Potatoes 10 cups water 10 medium white or red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into quarters 1 tablespoon salt

Bring water to boil in large saucepan. Add potatoes and salt. Reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain quickly and return potatoes to still-warm saucepan to dry little. Do not turn on heat. Press potatoes through sieve (but do not mash).

The empanada dough in this recipe is a Mexican staple. Its flaky, croissant-like character makes it a perfect pastry for fish or meat pies too.

LENTEN TURNOVERS 3 3/4 cups flour, plus more if needed 9 egg yolks 1/2 cup butter, room temperature 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup ice water 1 cup butter, chilled Custard Filling Egg Wash 1 cup sugar

Place flour on large, flat surface. Form well in center and place 7 egg yolks and 1/2 cup room-temperature butter in well. Knead together, then add salt and gradually work in ice water. Knead by hand or with bread attachment of food processor until dough is shiny, elastic and not sticky.

Roll out dough, sprinkling with flour as necessary, and shape into rectangle or square about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick. Place chilled butter in center of rolled-out dough and flatten with rolling pin to cover central 1/3 of dough. Fold top 1/3 of dough downward over butter, then fold bottom 1/3 upward, overlapping top 1/3 and meeting top edge. Fold left side inward in same fashion, then fold right side inward, overlapping and meeting left edge. Dough should be compact rectangle 5 layers thick.

Roll out dough slightly, to press layers together. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 1/2 hours.

Roll out and fold exactly as before. Refrigerate again 1 1/2 hours, then roll out and fold again. After folding, roll out dough on floured surface to 1/4- to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into 2 1/2- to 3-inch rounds.

Place 1 tablespoon Custard Filling on 1 side of round of dough and fold over. Pinch edges to seal. Brush dough with Egg Wash. Sprinkle with sugar. Place on ungreased baking sheet.

Repeat with remaining dough and filling, then refrigerate turnovers 15 minutes before baking. Bake at 350 degrees until golden, 30 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature. Makes 8 servings.

Custard Filling 6 egg yolks 1 3/4 cups sugar 1/3 cup cornstarch 3 cups warm milk 2 cinnamon sticks or 2 (6-inch-long) vanilla beans, split

Combine egg yolks and sugar in saucepan and set over very low heat, whisking until mixture becomes pale-yellow color. Add cornstarch, warm milk and cinnamon sticks and simmer until mixture thickens, about 20 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and discard cinnamon sticks. Let cool.

Egg Wash 2 egg yolks 1/3 cup milk

Whisk yolks with milk until blended.