Not quite aguachile.
Learning I was wrong from the source.
Oh my goodness, hi, how are you? How was your break?
We got back from three weeks in Mexico this week and holy guacamole, it was everything I dreamed it would be and more. If you follow me on Instagram, I am very aware that I pushed the limits of how many stories someone would want to see from a single person every day but it.was.just.so.beautiful and every.thing.tasted.so.good, I couldn’t stop.
Whilst I would love to regale you with stories of smoke-filled meat markets, abandoned Aztec pyramids, and ancient textile practices (the embroidery, the ceramics, the wool!) or give you a detailed description of where to find the best taco I’ve ever had from a street vendor in Oaxaca, I think that unless you plan on going soon, it’s probably pretty boring. But because I’m still on that travel high, I’ve done a short round-up at the bottom. If you’re just here for the recipe, feel free to skip it :)
One thing I was most looking forward to on our trip was the seafood. Ceviche, tostadas, aguachile, tacos, fresh, grilled, deep-fried. I wanted it all. I must admit that fish is something I don’t cook as often as I’d like. Actually, that’s not true. Fresh seafood, is something I don’t cook as often as I’d like. There are always anchovies in the fridge, a tin of clams, sardines, tuna, or mussels in the pantry, and a bag of prawns in the freezer. But for some reason, fresh fish feels like a luxury.
One of the best places we went for seafood was actually on our last day in CDMX called Mi compa - Chava. Especially this taco and this ceviche. We realised after ordering that almost every table around us was eating these massive bowls of aguachile and let's just say, I was jealous.
If you’ve not heard of aguachile before, it’s a Mexican seafood dish that is essentially a ceviche but made with either prawns or scallops, or both, cucumber, avocado, and lots of chilli and lime. Agua = water, Chile = chilli. So, chilli water.
Over a year ago, I was obsessed with aguachile. I’d never actually had a proper one before and so after making a few different recipes online, took my favourite bits from them all and wrote this recipe.
What I didn’t know is that traditionally the raw seafood is cooked in lime juice, then drained and served in another chilli-lime marinade. In my version, you poach prawns in boiling water, then marinate them in coriander, chilli, and lime.
So is this recipe traditional, no. Is it still good, yes.
And it’s especially good when limes are $24 a kilo.
Prawns in chilli water - not quite aguachile.
Ingredients:
350g raw prawns, peeled & deveined
¼ telegraph cucumber, diced
1 avocado, diced
½ shallot, finely diced
1 chilli - a jalapeno if you can get one, seeds removed and sliced
1 handful coriander, very finely chopped
¼ cup lime juice
Corn chips or Salada crackers, to serve
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil to poach prawns. Add prawns and cook until they change to a light pink shade and they become opaque (1-2 minutes). Drain.
Coarsely chop the prawns and place them in a bowl. Add cucumber, avocado, shallot, chilli, coriander and lime juice. Add a good pinch of salt and combine. It should be quite ‘juicy’. Add more lime if needed.
To serve, spoon onto a platter or into serving bowls. Eat with corn chips or salted crackers.
I’ve added instructions to poach the prawns but honestly, if I’m just making this for a weeknight dinner - with rice, this lazy gal just buys the frozen pre-cooked ones from the supermarket.
I think dishes like this are best served super cold for maximum satisfaction. There are some tips on how I do this on this post but I find the best is to make an ice stand. Pick a dish or another bowl that fits your serving dish on top. Fill it up three-quarters full with ice. Balance the platter or bowl on top and fill with your raw fish.
If you’re supermarket stocks the Tio Pablo tostada’s, this is great piled on top of them with some pickled red onion.
Here is a short list of questions I normally ask a friend or colleague after they’ve been on a trip that should give you a brief overview.
Favourite place? Oaxaca city - It was really diverse in terms of food and culture. They’ve managed to blend the two in a really respectful way. Very good coffee shops and bakeries as well as street vendors and newer restaurants. Heaps of art, beautiful architecture and a lot of colour. Very closely followed by Puerto Escondido.
Favourite activity? Sunrise hot air ballooning or lying next to the beach for a full day (see above).
Best fancy restaurant? Entremar or Criollo
Best cheap eat? I don’t know why I gave myself such hard questions. Taco’s from Carmen in Oaxaca, grilled meat from the market, al pastor tacos, zucchini flower tacos, the best Jewish bagel, potato focaccia, every ice cream, honestly, we didn’t have a bad meal.
Favourite drink? Mezcalitas - a margarita but made with mezcal, the coffee was amazing and any of the beers in tiny bottles.
Any disasters? Oh, so many lol. Covid, ear infection, wrong visas, bad airbnbs, food poisoning, delayed planes, almost missed planes. All general travel stuff and it’s funny now so it’s fine.
What surprised you? OK, a couple of things.
Mexicans have a big breakfast around 11am and then a largish lunch at 2pm - they just snack for dinner. This meant that there isn’t a lot of places open for dinner after 8pm.
The altitude is real, it took more than a few days to adjust. Walking upstairs was hard and my lips dried to two sausage-less sausage skins. Chapstick advised.
Mexicans are generally very chill. The more you embrace this and just go with their flow, the better (cough cough loud Americans).
Last thing! Before going, a lot of people asked me if I was worried about my safety traveling in Mexico. I will preface this with the fact that we stayed in pretty central and touristy areas the whole time and I don’t disregard the fact that there is a lot of dangerous stuff happening but, I never felt unsafe once. Not walking home through the back streets of CMDX at 11pm, not in the hustling/crowded markets and not at the bus station with all our belongings at 2am. A couple of taxi drivers tried to rip us off but tbh, 90% of the time it probably works so good on them. Learn some basic Spanish (100-day streak on Duolingo thank you very much) and it goes a long way.
If you are heading to Mexico any time soon, feel free to get in touch. VERY happy to give you more info and recommendations.
I had planned to come home from this break super motivated, super organised, and with a million ideas ready to launch into action. To be completely honest, I don’t think I thought about anything other than my next meal for the last month.
But, now that I’m back, I’m super excited to get back into it. So if there’s anything you’d like to see in the next few weeks/months/year, please let me know here or on Instagram.
That’s it, that’s all.
Rosie