Seafood · Mexican
Green Shrimp Aguachile
Aguachile is Sinaloa's fiery answer to ceviche: raw shrimp butterflied and "cooked" in a bright green bath of lime juice, serrano chile and cilantro. Because the shrimp is eaten barely cured, start with wild-caught shrimp that was frozen at sea right after the catch; it stays sweet, firm and safe to serve raw.
- Prep25 min
- Cook0 min
- Total25 min
- Servings4
Ingredients
- 500 g wild-caught large shrimp 21/25, peeled and deveined, thawed $470
- Or 650 g wild-caught XL shell-on shrimp, peeled and deveined, for bigger bites $470
- 1 cup fresh lime juice (about 10-12 limes)
- 2-4 serrano chiles, stems removed
- 1 small bunch cilantro
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced into half-moons
- 1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced
- 1 avocado, sliced
- Salt and black pepper
- Tostadas or saltine crackers, to serve
Instructions
- Thaw the shrimp overnight in the fridge, or in a sealed bag under cold running water for 15 minutes. Pat dry.
- Butterfly each shrimp by slicing lengthwise along the back almost all the way through, then open it flat. Lay them in a single layer on a cold, shallow platter.
- Season the shrimp with salt and pour about 1/3 cup of the lime juice over them. Chill for 10 minutes while you make the sauce.
- Blend the remaining lime juice with the serrano chiles, cilantro, water, 1 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper until completely smooth.
- Drain off the first lime juice from the shrimp, then pour the green chile sauce over them.
- Scatter the cucumber and red onion over the top and let everything rest in the fridge for 5-10 minutes, until the shrimp turn opaque at the edges.
- Top with avocado slices and serve immediately, very cold, with tostadas and a cold beer or agua mineral.
Tips
- Serve aguachile within 20 minutes of saucing; the lime keeps curing the shrimp and it turns rubbery if it sits too long.
- For a deeper color and smoky heat, swap one serrano for a chiltepín or a roasted jalapeño.
