Squish Critter: Sopa de Cangrejo con Camarones

Today was the first snowfall of the year, and I had mixed feelings about it. On the one hand it means we are that much closer to my favorite time of the year...Christmas! On the other hand, it also means scraping snow and ice off the car and winter driving. So to cheer me up my mom and I decided to make one of my favorite dishes in the world. "Sopa de Cangrejo con Camarones" not only brings back wonderful childhood memories but this dish is a seafood lover's dream.

To start you will need 5 crabs or more depending on how many people will be eating. I suggest one crab per person. Make sure to scrub the crabs very well with a toothbrush because they tend to have a bit of sand stuck in between their crevasses.

The next step is to defrost and devein the shrimp.

In a separate bowl dice 3 stalks of celery, 1 bell pepper (any color), 1 plum tomato, a handful of parsley, and 1 onion. You will also need 5-6 garlic cloves or more depending on the size of the cloves. You will need a tablespoon of salt. You will also need 2 bags of shrimp seasoning (sabrosador de camarón)...this is very important and worth finding. You can find them in Latin American food shops, as well as in the international food aisle at most grocery stores. The specific brand I used is Continental and adds that authentic Salvadoran flavor.

Once you have all the vegetables finely chopped add them to a pot of boiling water. Make sure that you only have about half the pot full of water, the other half is needed for the crabs and shrimps.

At this point in time add the 2 bags of shrimp seasoning and salt. Stir.

While the vegetables are in the water take a sharp knife and crack the crabs down the middle. Make sure not to cut all the way through as you want the crabs to stay whole. This step really helps once its time to eat the crabs as its easier to get to the good stuff.

Add your crabs and shrimps into the soup. You will notice that the shrimps and the crabs immediately start turning pink. From this point, the soup will be ready to eat in about 10 mins

Add two bags of Sazón Goya -- this adds a little more seasoning and color. Stir the soup.

One of the best things about this soup is the little bits of poached eggs! Right after you have added the Sazón Goya seasoning crack 5 eggs into the soup. If you are worried about getting shells into the soup, crack the eggs into a bowl and break the yolks with a fork and then add it to the soup.

Crack the eggs and then use the wooden spoon to break the yolks.

The soup is ready! Remember to always check for seasoning throughout the cooking process. If you feel that its missing some salt or more shrimp seasoning, now is the time to add more.

Now, while the soup is cooling a little it's the perfect opportunity to make tortillas! No Salvadoran soup is complete without a side of hot tortillas. I like to use the Maseca corn tortilla mix. All you do is add water and you have your dough! Once you have the dough forming one giant ball start forming small tennis balls. Put a plastic bag on your counter and place your small tennis balls on the right side of the bag. Take the left side of the bag and fold it over the ball. It is comparable to making a book cover and your ball represents the pages inside the book.