Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at home and try out these three recipes from Mesa Fresca and Dianne’s Fish Shack & Smokehouse.

Mesa Fresca

Mesa Fresca is a locally owned and operated restaurant located in the west end of Kingston. Owners Alison and Andrew Scahill pride themselves on their unique blend of Mexican fusion, utilizing their love of the vibrant flavours of Latin cuisine to inspire the menu. The abundance of local suppliers, fresh produce and meat available in the Kingston area are not only the backbone of their menu but their local suppliers have become an integral part of Mesa Fresca family as they navigated operating a new restaurant during COVID-19.

They shared their Margarita de la Casa recipe with us below.

Margarita de la Casa recipe

Prepare in advance:

Lime Infused Salt:

• Coarse kosher salt
• Fresh lime zest (zesting with a microplane works best)

Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice:

• 3-4 limes per margarita

Simple Syrup:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water

(Optional: you can easily make more or less syrup depending on how many margaritas you plan to have; just be sure to use equal parts sugar and water)

1. Combine equal parts sugar and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce; let simmer for 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature before using.

 

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Ingredients:

• 1 oz Tequlia el Espolon Blanco
• ½ oz Cointreau
• ¾ oz simple syrup
• 1 ½ oz freshly squeezed lime juice
• Ice
• Served best in an 8oz rocks glass

Method:

1. Rim rocks glass with lime juice & salt the rim generously.
2. Combine all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker.
3. Shake well for 10 seconds and strain into rocks glass.
4. Enjoy!

Notes:

• We opt for Espolon’s tequila blanco as its crisp flavours lend well to the vibrancy of our freshly squeezed lime juice. That said, any tequila will suffice, and we encourage others to try the same recipe with richer, aged tequilas such as reposados or anejos.
• Cointreau is our triple sec orange-flavoured liqueur of choice. It is a premium quality brand, much less sweet than Grand Marnier, thanks to the bitter orange peels infused into the liquor.

Dianne’s Fish Shack & Smokehouse

Just steps from the waterfront in downtown Kingston, Dianne’s is where a classic East Coast kitchen meets the flavours of Mexico! From fresh sustainable seafood choices, turf and tacos, this irresistible destination has made a name for itself and proud owner Tim Pater proves again that he truly has a flare for the restaurant industry in Kingston with his drive and passion.

For Cinco de Mayo, here are Dianne’s Mexican Street Corn (as seen on Food Network’s You Gotta Eat Here!) and Diablo Caesar recipes.

Mexican Street Corn

Four portions 

Ingredients:

• 8 pieces freshly husked corn on the cob
• 8 oz queso fresco, pulsed in a food processor until loosely crumbled
• 1 tbsp Mexican-style chili powder
• 2 jalapeno peppers, very thinly sliced crosswise; include some seeds
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise, preferably homemade, mixed throughout with the zest and juice of two limes
• 2 tbsp roughly chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 lime cut into 8 wedges
• Sea salt / freshly ground pepper to taste

 

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Method:

1. Light BBQ and pre-heat to high with lid closed.
2. When BBQ is hot, lay corn side by side on the grill and leave to cook until corn starts to “pop” and begins to char.
3. Starting from one end on the line of corn, rotate each cob a quarter turn and allow charring to continue and corn to “pop” until corn is evenly charred all over. (Charring is good for depth of flavour; don’t be afraid of it.)
4. When corn is evenly charred and cooked, place on a tray and spoon over a generous amount of lime mayonnaise; using tongs, rotate the corn to smother each cob completely from end to end with the mayonnaise.
5. Place two cobs side by each on a serving plate and sprinkle liberally with queso; with a generous pinch of chili powder dust corn entirely, season to taste with sea salt and pepper, then garnish with several slices of jalapeno, chopped cilantro, and a lime wedge.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Diablo Caesar

Prepare in Advance

Tomatillo Mix:

• 2 litre Kitchens Tomatillo Salsa Mix
• 1 big can of tomatillo
• 4 tsp garlic powder
• 4 tsp onion powder
• 4 oz lime juice
• 4 tsp horseradish
• 4 cups water
• 4 tsp green cholula

Method:

1. Rim glass with salt.
2. Add tequila.
3. Add ice.
4. Add Diablo mix.
5. Garnish with deep fried shrimp.