♪ ♪ >> Pati Narrates: What if I told you I found the perfect beach?

Soft sand for miles!

Warm water, warm people, and the oh so fresh seafood.

What if I told you about a fishing village that has dreams to host the world?

Would you come?

Will it lose its charm if I tell you about it?

Can a pearl remain hidden once the oyster's opened?

Altata is an idyllic beach town on the Sea of Cortez, 45 minutes West of Culiacán.

This fishing village has got the weather, the beaches, and the food for a life in paradise.

But there's a problem, the fish have been depleted and so too a way of life.

And the solution?

Well, it's me, and you, and everyone who loves spending time at the beach, and Altata is eager for us to come.

But is that also a problem?

Pati Narrates: Altata has plenty to offer, especially when it comes to food.

Mmm.

Mmm!

Pati Narrates: In my kitchen?

It looks so good!

Pati Narrates: Fresh seafood recipes inspired by Sinaloa's hidden coastal gem.

Creamy, spicy, to die for Chipotle Oyster Soup.

Mmm.

Crazy good.

Pati Narrates: And Shrimp Machaca Burritos to share with Alan.

This is something you can make at school when you go back to college.

>> Yeah I will.

>> Cheers.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> Pati Narrates: Welcome to Altata, a tranquil fishing village where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez.

For over 100 years it had been little more than a few shacks on a beautiful bay.

A bay the locals claim produces the tastiest shrimp in all of Mexico.

My new friends are the brains behind Altata's makeover, Jose, Charlie and Raul.

So we said "hi", we kissed, we can go!

>> Jose: Yeah we can go.

Welcome!

>> Pati Narrates: The first stop on my Altata tour can only be reached by boat.

My fellow ship mates are working on a plan to turn this small village into an international destination.

No one knows the potential of Altata better than chef and living legend Charlie who is about as local as it gets.

>> Pati: You were born in a canoe?

>> Charlie: Uh-huh.

>> Pati: Here in Altata?

>> Charlie: In Altata - >> Pati: Your mom was pregnant and she was riding - >> Pati: Oh my gosh, that's an incredible story!

Pati Narrates: Altata has always been a perfect getaway for the few visitors in the know, but things are changing, and this secret is too good to keep.

Altata wants the whole world to find out about their beautiful beaches, amazing seafood, and the big plans they're developing.

>> Pati: Tourism!

>> Pati Narrates: The Altata waters are a treasure.

(Pati exclaims) You see?!

Pati Narrates: Sight seeing and swimming for the tourists, and for years, a bounty for fishermen, until recently.

Pati Narrates: Alejandro never imagined he and his family would end up on an oyster farm miles from everywhere.

The story of the farm starts when as shrimp fisherman, they noticed their catches getting smaller and smaller due to overfishing.

They have little choice but to adapt for a different future.

>> Pati Narrates: Now this is one of several oyster farms in Alejandro's family.

Ah, they're very big!

Wow.

Pati Narrates: And lucky for Alejandro, the oysters just love the Altata waters too, I mean, look at the size of these!

>> Okay.

>> Mmm.

Super salty all around, but once you bite in the centre it's like an explosion of sweetness.

>> Pati Narrates: As local fishermen adapt and struggle to keep up with demand, Jose and his team believe that economic help is on the way.

>> Jose: Here we're planning to build small bubbles so you can stay at night.

>> Pati: (gasps) >> Jose: Yeah, like a small camping, kind of "glamping".

>> Pati: And eat oysters all day long.

>> Jose: Yeah, you can stay 2 - 3 days and rest, at night you're gonna see stars.

>> Pati: Do any people object about the development of this area?

>> Jose: Sometimes, but we're taking care and we listen to that.

>> Pati: And how do you guys feel about this new development?

(Pati translates for Alejandro) They're thrilled.

>> Pati Narrates: Altata is working hard to be ready for the influx of visitors.

Along the boardwalk, you see all the welcoming thatched roof restaurants.

Two blocks away, new condo and hotel developments are emerging.

In the middle of it all is Charlie's restaurant, "Mi Charlie".

The fish here is not just fresh.

According to Charlie, it's caught locally by him with his own bare hands.

>> Charlie: Uh, I caught the fishes just with my hands.

One time I bring it to my daughter because my daughter, she didn't believe it.

>> Carlita: Yeah, that story is true.

I was sitting on the boat, and then when he said "Carlita, I got something", like this - "Dad, is that a fish?!

", "Yes!"

>> Pati Narrates: Regardless of how Charlie catches a fish, there can be no doubt he knows how to cook it.

He's making that Mexican beach classic, Pescado Zarandeado.

After skillfully flattening the snapper, he seasons it, and then creates a rub out of hot sauce, lime juice, soy sauce and tons of mayo.

The fish is then placed in a cage and set skin-side down over a bed of smouldering charcoal.

I peek in the kitchen and see fresh tortillas being made.

I can barely wait another second.

>> Charlie: You're enjoying the Pescado Zarandeado from Altata.

>> Pati: Mmm.

Phenomenal Charlie.

So Charlie, you were born in Altata, where is it going Charlie?

I think most of the people come to eat the seafood, the one we're selling.

>> Jose: Very different seafood.

>> Charlie: The flavor is different from Culiacana and Mazatian.

>> Jose: It's gonna grow but it's so rich you can keep it a secret.

Everyone is coming, but you take care of the treasure that nobody takes it.

>> Pati: I can tell you one thing, I really hope that when I come back to Altata in a few years, I'm going to be able to eat this same fish and eat this same Jaiba 'cause it's so phenomenal.

I'll eat one more!

Mmm.

>> Pati: I am obsessed with oysters.

I mean, I've always liked oysters, but the more the time passes, the more I like them, so I wanted to make a soup that's not only oyster-based, I really want the oysters to shine.

That Chipotle Flavored Oyster Soup.

I have my pot set at medium heat.

I'm adding a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil, 1.5 cups of white onion.

I'm going to cut some carrots and some celery.

I'm gonna use these vegetables as the soup base.

I am really excited about this soup because it's truly phenomenal.

Okay, it's not your normal soup, it's not like a "Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, I'm gonna have oyster soup tonight!

", but I'm gonna show you why you're gonna fall in love with this soup, and actually this soup is inspired by a soup I used to eat when I lived in Mexico City.

There used to be this cantina called (Pati speaks Spanish) It was this really fun old-fashioned cantina, and they had a very limited menu, and everybody talked about their oyster soup.

We have 1.5 cups of carrots, celery, and leeks, and we're saving 1/2 a cup to add at the end.

I love adding leeks, that is something I got from my mom, whenever she makes a vegetable soup she adds leeks and I think it adds a really nice subtle warmth to the soup.

And then we're going to broil 1.5 pounds of tomatoes.

Whatever you choose that is going to go into your soup, that's the flavor you're gonna get, so if you get tomatoes that are not ripe, that are hard, that haven't fully developed their flavors, then that's what you're gonna get in this soup.

Pati: I'm going to chop a couple chipotles in adobo sauce.

Chipotles in adobo are jalapeños that are picked not when green like this, but when ripe and really red, and then they're dried, smoked, and then marinated in a puree of tomato, vinegar and spices for a long time.

They have the smoky, the sweet, the spicy.

Now I'm also chopping a couple chiles de arbol.

The chipotle in adobo and the chile de arbol are both feisty and smoky.

Adding some garlic.

A teaspoon of dried oregano.

A teaspoon of salt.

And you can see how tasty and how flavorful this vegetable base already looks.

And now by charring or roasting them, we really took them to a completely different level of flavor that is gonna do so much for that soup.

See?

The juice is bursting out of the tomatoes!

So here I have homemade chicken broth, and I'm gonna add 5 cups.

I find that chicken broth in this soup sort of mellows everything out.

Let this come to a simmer, and I'm gonna cook it for 8 - 10 minutes.

I'm gonna puree the soup in here.

I'm kind of feeling bad because it looks so good!

So chunky, and look at the colors!

Yes, mmm!

If you like rustic chunky leave it like that.

(blender whirs) Pati: It smells so good and delicious, and look at the color!

Look how creamy this looks.

We're just gonna strain this in here.

Now you don't have to strain it, and then you would have a thick puree that would look more like this, but I'm really going all the way here and making it super velvety, creamy.

Pour this back in my soup pot, turn it back on at a medium-low heat while I shuck my oysters.

I learned this trick which is a great trick, and you have a lot more control.

Grab a kitchen towel, you put your 4 fingers over the towel, and your thumb under the towel like this, and you create a little holder for the oyster.

You find whatever entry you can get, and then you put your pressure, see?

Now once you open all of it, you want to release the muscle from the top.

Same thing in the bottom.

Now you can get your oysters fresh from your fishmonger or at the store, or you can also get them in bottles already shucked, and the great thing about getting them already shucked is that they come with a lot of the oyster liquid which you want in the soup.

I'm gonna add my vegetables that I had left on the side.

I have a pound of already shucked oysters here.

Ever since I can remember I've been obsessed with oysters.

I even remember my dad being shocked at how many oysters I could eat!

But then again, when I got married and moved to Texas, my mom came to visit, she was shocked that I now could keep up the pace with my very tall husband, and I eat the same amount of food as Danny which still shocks Danny to this day.

He has to fight for food.

Let this simmer really for 1 - 2 minutes because I want the oysters to be very tender.

Mmm.

Mhmm?

Mmm!

The oysters are nice, plump, and super soft, and the tomato broth is very spicy, but it's like the oysters are begging for it.

These oysters deserve their own soup, and this one's it.

>> Pati Narrates: The boardwalk is the place to be in Altata, but it's the end of the boardwalk that is Altata's biggest draw.

A collection of 33 restaurants serving the freshest seafood caught from the same waters you dine next to.

Standing out among this crowd is "Long Beach".

Pati Narrates: Norma and Natalia are a mother/daughter team carrying on a decades old tradition begun by dad.

over-the-top, creamy, cheesy seafood.

They're going to demonstrate their most popular dish, Filete Manhattan.

>> Pati: We're making machaca!

Did you know?!

I didn't know!

I've been dying to learn how to make shrimp machaca!

>> Pati: Okay.

A little onion, celery.

>> Norma: Yes.

>> Pati: And the shrimp is deveined, but it still has the shell and the tail.

I've been dying to learn how to make shrimp machaca for such a long time, and it was a surprise.

Why the name "Long Beach"?

>> Natalia: (laughs) >> Pati Narrates: The cooked shrimp are peeled and then mashed.

Pati: So the marlin machaca is the same process, but with smoked marlin, which here in Altata you can buy already smoked.

Wherever you may live, you may not, but... there's nothing we can do about that (laughs) >> Pati Narrates: Norma assembles the dish by scattering aromatics, raw oysters, and mushrooms on a plate.

Then she makes a bed of smoked marlin and shrimp machaca for the cooked fish filet and the shrimp to lay on before they get covered in chipotle mayo and a blanket of local white cheese.

This is gonna be good.

(laughs) It all comes together under that creamy chipotle cheesy thing!

If I lived here I would come here and order this every single time, it's so good!

Que delicia!

>> Pati: I'm gonna show you how to make shrimp machaca, and I love the word "machaca" so much.

You know what "machaca" translates to?

Mashing.

So I have here 1 pound of shrimp 'cause we're gonna make some really packed with flavor Shrimp Machaca Burritos, and doesn't that sound fun?

I'm gonna begin by soaking a couple morita chiles.

Morita chiles are jalapeños that have been picked ripe and dried, and the taste is just sweet, it's sort of like prune but super fiesty and spicy, and because these are very hard to stem and seed, I'll soak them for a little.

They're just going to sit there in the hot boiling water and rehydrate for a few minutes.

Now let's get back to the machaca conversation.

I have water that's simmering here, and I'm going to heavily salt it.

I'm gonna add my shrimp, and these are already peeled.

I wanna cook these shrimp for, like, 30 seconds.

You don't wanna thoroughly cook them, you just want them to transform from raw to barely cooked.

There should be a dance called machaca!

There's a salsa, there's a cha-cha-cha, there should be a machaca and you can make that one up.

So I'm gonna leave the shrimp here to cool for a second before I do the machaca thing to them, but now I'm gonna, in the same water, I won't waste it I'll use this water, I'm gonna peel a potato, dice it, and cook it.

In Mexican cooking we have a thing - Rinde or make something Rindir Which is you wanna stretch the use of a protein that may be expensive by adding a little potato, or you could add rice too.

You're sort of extending the use of the shrimp and making it last for more burritos.

This is gonna be just like 5 minutes.

Grab your shrimp, and you put them inside a plastic bag.

(Pati pounds shrimp) See how fast?

(Pati pounds shrimp) You want to get to the point where you're breaking the shape of the shrimp, but you don't want a paste, a machaca needs to have texture.

There, that's perfect.

I'm adding 3 tablespoons of peanut oil, 1 cup of chopped white onion.

So I thought about adding peanut oil, I will tell you why.

I wanted to add sesame seeds, and I wanted to add the chipotle chile, and if you combine those three things, the peanut oil with the sesame seeds with the morita, you're adding three ingredients that are deep, toasty and smoky.

I am going to chop the morita chiles that have been soaking.

See how it rehydrated, but mostly I wanted to soak it in the water so I can get the seeds out.

You don't want the morita seeds in there because they're so spicy!

Chiles love the company of other chiles.

You have this fresh almost citrusy heat from the Serrano, and then you have the nutty, rustic, super smoky heat from the moritas.

We're gonna add the morita chiles and the Serrano chiles in here too.

3 tablespoons of sesame seeds.

A couple garlic cloves.

1.5 pounds of ripe tomatoes that I already diced.

And Sammy, thank you so much for this bowl, Sammy made this bowl.

Ah, look at this mix!

I wanted to make a machaca that not only was super delicious, but really packed with flavor because one of the key secrets to making good burritos is to have a filling that can stand on its own.

Now I'm going to add my shrimp.

My potatoes.

1/2 a teaspoon of salt.

And you can see how it's all coming together in here.

Mmm.

Mhmm.

So good.

I'm gonna heat my comale for the tortillas, and I'm going to make a quick salsita.

We're making a Salsita Verde Cruda.

Cruda means raw.

I have 1 pound of tomatillos, 1 Serrano chile, 2 tablespoons onion, 3/4 teaspoon salt, this whole thing of cilantro.

(blender whirs) Pati: We have good flour tortillas.

>> Danny: Hey ma.

>> Pati: Hola my love!

You wanna try it with the salsita?

>> Danny: Yeah.

>> Pati: Good?

>> Danny: That's so good, yeah.

>> Pati: Mmm.

You have the filling which is so toasty, nutty, spicy, but then with the raw salsita it's like playing with you.

>> Danny: I love that you used the flour tortilla.

>> Pati: Mhmm.

>> Danny: It goes so well with the filling.

>> Pati: I know!

>> Danny: Is this how burritos always are in Mexico?

They're always rolled up like this really small?

>> Pati: The burritos that we have here that have the rice, beans and sour cream - That's not usual, it's like - >> Danny: No, I like this so much better 'cause it's so simple.

>> Pati: This is something you can make at school when you go back to college!

>> Danny: Yeah, I will.

>> Pati: Shrimp Machaca Burritos for your friends!

Cheers (laughs) >> Pati Narrates: For recipes and information from this episode and more, visit PatiJinich.com, and connect!

Find me on facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest @PatiJinich.