Posted on Wed, Jul 06, 2011
Campechana Means “From Campeche” 
Mexican food in Tucson comes in many shapes and sizes, and has many inspirations. At Guadalajara Grill, we see our Mexican restaurant as taking inspiration principally from our home state of Jalisco, but we are incredibly inspired by the diversity of regional cuisines from across Mexico. That's why we started our Mexican Culinary Tour, to showcase some of this diversity and share some authentic and less common Mexican dishes with our wonderful Tucson guests. These recipes, like those we've published previously, have their roots in authentic local recipes in their state of origin, and we strive to prepare each dish authentically and with care, always using only the freshest highes quality ingredients.
This month, we're featuring Campeche, so why not dig in a little bit to the food traditions of Campeche. In the old days, corn was the base of the food pyramid for the inhabitants of Campeche and the rest of the Mayan civilization it formed part of. They complemented it with beans, vegetables and fish, seafood and small game local to the region. Today, the cuisine of Campeche is a rich combination of local, regional and imported ingredients first introduced by European settlers. The diverse flavors include typical dishes such as panuchos,empanadas, tamales and tacos as well as exquisite seafood such as poached and braised fish, crab legs and a variety of dishes based on octopus and squid. In the Summer, Moro Crab and shrimp are local delicacies. Specialities not made from seafood, such as this delicious Pollo a la Pibil, are influenced by Mayan traditions and feature achiote ( made from a seed typical to the region, and are often slow cooked while wrapped in banana leaves to keep in the juices and flavor.
Try these simple, unique and visually appealing dishes at home with friends and family or use it to impress company. Authentic Campeche style!This month, we feature two typical Campechana style dishes as part of our Culinary Tour of Mexico. Even if you haven’t been to Campeche, we hope they will give you a small taste of what you’re missing!
Pescado a la Campechana 
Ingredients:
• 4 White fish fillets ( fish of your choice)
• 4-6 New Potatoes (small and round), cooked and cut into slices
• 3 Tomatoes, diced • 1 oz Cilantro, diced • 4 Chile Ancho, cooked and liquefied in a blender • 2 Green Peppers, grilled or broiled, peeled and sliced • 1 onion and 2 cloves of garlic, diced • Butter, salt and pepper • 2 Avocados, peeled and halved, then thinly sliced
Preparation:
• Pan fry the fish fillets in butter for 4 minutes on each side, then add the diced tomato, onion and garlic. Salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the blended Chile Ancho liquid and bring to a boil for 5 minutes.
• Add the sliced new potatoes, sliced green peppers to the mix, and cook for another 2-3 minutes
• Serve, accompanied with with black beans and white rice, and one half sliced avocado and lemon wedges.
Serves: 4
Pollo a la Pibil 
Ingredients:
• 4 chicken breast, boneless or bone in as you prefer • 1 cup of orange juice • 2 oz of white or apple cider vinegar • 4 cloves of garlic, finely diced
• 2 Tomatoes, sliced • 1 Onion, sliced • 1 Orance, sliced thinly • 4 banana leaves • Butter, achiote powder, salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
• Whisk the achiote powder in the vinegar and orange juice, adding salt and pepper to taste and place in a shallow dish.
• Marinate the chicken breasts for 30-120 minutes
• Spread out the banana leaves, and place one chicken breast inside of each. Cover with achiote sauce, and several slices of tomato, onion and orange.
•Wrap and fold the banana leaves to seal in the chicken and juices. If the seal is incomplete, wrap again in aluminum foil to avoid dripping.
• Bake at 300, or place on a covered grill, for one hour to slow cook.
• Serve with white rice and black beans, atop a bed of spinach leaves and garnish with sliced tomato and avocado.
Want to download the recipes? Just click here: