Capirotada a sweet Lent dessert staple

A sweet and savory Mexican bread pudding typically served during Lent, capirotada often beckons us home to prepare the dish with our family.

For many, capirotada is a dessert to top Friday meals during the 40-day season when meat is off limits. Its ingredients of bread, syrup, cloves, cinnamon sticks and cheese are symbolic to the Passion of Christ.

Capirotada is also a borderland staple at many eateries that offer its patrons special Lent menus – and a way to get our fix without stepping foot in our kitchens.

Here are a few eateries we rounded up for the season, which ends on Easter Sunday, April 4.

Café Mayapán 

2000 Texas; 915-217-1126

mujerobrera.org/cafemayapan 

@CafeMayapan on Facebook

Café Mayapán shut down in October due to the pandemic and reopened on Ash Wednesday. Their cuaresma menu includes fish soup, lentils, fish tacos, shrimp tortitas and capirotada.

Ándale Mexican Restaurant

9201 Gateway Blvd. West; 915-590-5999

@AndaleRestaurantandCantina on Facebook

Shrimp entrees, quesadillas, enchiladas

Día De Los Pescados Food Truck

2200 Zaragoza; 915-213-2929

@diadelospescados on Instagram

Fish tacos, coconut shrimp, ‘po boy sandwiches

Delicious Mexican Eatery

11335 Montwood; 915-857-1396

3314 Fort Blvd.; 915-566-1396

@deliciousmexicaneatery on Facebook

Fish/shrimp platters, enchiladas, potato flautas, Lenten combo plates, fish soup, capirotada

Julio’s Mexican Food

Various locations in El Paso

@Julio’s Mexican Food on Facebook, Instagram

Fish tacos, fish tostadas, shrimp dishes

Mr. Bigotes Mexican Kitchen    

5401 Gateway Blvd. South, Ste. D

915-249-6987

Mr. Bigotes Mexican Kitchen on

Facebook

Shrimp tortas, lentil soup, capirotada

Tio Juan Restaurant

10059 Dyer: 915-751-4444

@Tio Juan Restaurant on Facebook

Lentils, fish entrees, capriotada

Cuauhtemoc Cafe

6840 Montana; 915-881-8747

@cuauhtemoccafe on Facebook

Lentils, enchiladas, capirotada

El Crucero Mexican Grill

4224 N. Mesa; 915-857-1396

7000 Alameda; 915-307-2177

Shrimp cocktail, fish entrees, capirotada

Los Cabos Seafood

7200 N. Mesa; 915-301-0030

@Los Cabos Seafood on Facebook

Lentils, shrimp, capirotada

Playa Sirena Restaurant & Cantina

4001 N. Mesa; 915-500-5401

Playa Sirena Restaurant & Grill on Facebook

Shrimp & fish entrees

Mac’s Downtown

315 Mills; 915-533-8100

@macsdowntown915 on Facebook

Fish & shrimp entrees, etc.

Los Aguachiles

Various locations

Los Aguachiles on Facebook

Fish & shrimp entrees

Lapa Lapa Seafood & Drinks

500 Thorn; 915-260-5272

@eplapalapa on Facebook

Various seafood entrees

Timo’s Restaurant

4800 Montana; 915-565-5004

Timo’s Seafood & Mexican Food on Facebook

Lentils, fish soup, shrimp entrees, capirotada

Pelican’s Steak & Seafood

130 Shadow Mountain 915-581-1392

@PelicansElPasoWest on Facebook

Fish and shrimp entrees 

Chihuahuitas 

6200 Montana; 915-772-0006

Chihuahuitas on Facebook

Fish soup, mole, shrimp entrees, capirotada

Los 3 Gallegos Mexican Restaurant

10801 Pebble Hills; 915-592-5243

@los3gallegos on Facebook

Chile rellenos, enchiladas, shrimp entrées, fish filet, lentils, capirotada 

Little Shack

Various locations

@littleshack_ on Instagram

Fish/shrimp tacos, oyster shots, shrimp cocktails

Taco Shop

1920 N. Zaragoza; 915-800-1011

@Tacoshop915 on Facebook

Fish & shrimp tacos, fish and chips, brussel sprouts tacos, etc. 

Los Colegas Seafood Restaurant 

9099 Gateway Blvd.; 915-591-4498

@loscolegasseafood on Facebook

Fish, shrimp entrees 

Sweet Addiction Bakery

2831 Mobile; 915-203-4746

@sweetaddictionep on Instagram

sweetaddictionep.square.site

Capirotada

Aarón Sánchez’s Capirotada

with Cacique Queso Fresco and Coffee & Toffee Crema

For those who’d rather try their hand in the kitchen, El Pasoan Aarón Sánchez – celebrity chef, restaurateur and author – shares his recipe for capirotada using Cacique ingredients such as queso fresco and Mexican crema. 

Ingredients 

Capirotada 

• 1 cup Cacique Crema Mexicana
• 15 oz. evaporated milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla bean paste (or extract)
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 1¼ cups packed dark brown sugar or piloncillo plus 3 tbsp.
• 5 cups cubed (1/2-inch) day old French bread
• 1½ tbsp. orange zest 
• ½ cup golden raisins
• ¼ cup walnuts or pecans, rough chop
• 1 package (10 oz.) Cacique Queso Fresco, crumbled
• 1 ripe banana, sliced (1/2-inch) 
• Non-stick cooking spray

Coffee & Toffee Crema sauce

• 1 lb. unsalted butter (2 sticks)
• ½ cup Cacique Crema Mexicana
• ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
• ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
• ¼ cup coffee-flavored liquor
• Pinch of kosher salt

Servings: 8-10

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Preparation

Capirotada

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Grease a 9x9-inch casserole dish. 
• In a medium-sized bowl, combine crema, evaporated milk, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and whisk until blended well. 
• Add brown sugar (reserving 3 tablespoons for the later) and blend until well incorporated. Set aside.
• In a large bowl place bread cubes, add raisins, nuts, orange zest and Cacique Queso Fresco and gently mix with a large spoon until blended. 
• Add milk / crema mixture, gently stir and add bananas.
• Let the bread soak for 10 minutes. 
• Spoon the bread mixture and all the milk/crema mixture into the prepared pan. 
• Sprinkle the remaining 3 tablespoons of brown sugar over the bread pudding and place in the oven for 40 minutes until set and the top is golden brown. 
• Remove from oven. 

Coffee & toffee crema 

• Melt butter in small sauce pan. 
• Add crema and brown sugar. 
• Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. 
• Add vanilla and coffee liquor. 
• Stir until well blended and allow it to thicken for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  
• Remove from the heat and drizzle lightly over the bread pudding. 
• Serve immediately.

ABOUT THE CHEF

Aarón Sánchez has appeared on the Food Network’s “MasterChef,” “Chopped” and “Chopped Junior” and is executive chef and part owner of the popular New Orleans restaurant Johnny Sánchez. His memoir, “Where I Come From: Life Lessons from a Latino Chef,” was published in 2019. 

Find Sánchez’s recipes, books and blogs at chefaaronsanchez.com.