With the arrival of the season of Lent comes one of our most known dishes of this season Capirotada. It is customary to prepare this dish every Friday during Lent and it is said that this dish has been being prepared in Mexico since 1519.
This dish is one that we eat as dessert and there are many variations to Capoirotada that depend on what region of Mexico the recipe originates from and the recipes of each individual family. What is common in all the variations of Capirotada is the two base ingredients of this dish, which is the bolillo and the piloncillo.
Piloncillo is unprocessed cane sugar that you can find in the form of cones. And bolillo is what we use for this and the best way I can describe it is, bread that between French bread and a baguette. The bolillo is fried in oil, lard or butter. I personally skip this step and buy the bolillo that has already been fried, I do this because it saves me a lot of time, but if you prefer to fry your bread at home, you can. You can find regular or fried bolillo at the bakery inside La Bonita Supermarkets.
Piloncillo, Cinnamon and Whole Cloves
Today, I will be preparing Capirotada with my grandmother’s recipe. This recipe is quite simple and does not have many ingredients, but it is something that I grew up looking forward to every season of Lent. Personally, I indulge on this dish with a cup of coffee for breakfast. I know that this may violate some unwritten rules and perhaps might not be the most nutritious way to start the day, but it is a delicious one!
You may find all these ingredients in our market or at a Hispanic Supermarket in your area.
Enjoy!
Capirotada
- February 19, 2021
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Ingredients
- 1 Bag of Fried Bread (Bolillo) for Capirotada
- 2 Piloncillos
- 2 Cinnamon Sticks
- 5 whole Cloves
- 5 cups of Water
- 1 cup soaked Raisins
- Monterrey Cheese (Grated)
- Corn Tortillas
Directions
- Step 1
- Bring the water with the piloncillo cones with the cinnamon and cloves to a boil. Once the piloncillo has completely dissolved, turn off and set aside.
- Step 2
- Fry 5-7 tortillas in oil or butter. These tortillas will be used to cover the bottom of your pot where your capirotada will go. We use them so that the bread does not stick to the pot.
- Step 3
- Put the tortillas to cover the bottom of the pot.
- Step 4
- Soak each piece of fried bread in the piloncillo that was boiled. As each piece is soaked, place them in the pot on top of the tortillas.
- Step 5
- When you have covered the tortillas with the first layer of bread, add Monterey cheese over the first layer of bread. Then add the raisins. Repeat this step with the second layer and do this until you have done this with all the bread. The bread will leave you 2-3 layers depending on the size of your pot.
- Step 6
- Pour 1 cup of the boiled piloncillo into your pot over the bread. Simmer on the stove over low heat for 10-15 minutes, until the juice evaporates into your bread. Remove from heat.
- Step 7
- Serve warm or cold and feel free to discard the tortillas.
Thanks you