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Aguachile
Prawns in lime and chilli water
Sinaloa's prawns in a bright green lime-and-chilli water, with cucumber and red onion
Along the Sinaloa coast, from Mazatlán to Culiacán, aguachile is the cold plate that starts a long seafood lunch at the beachside palapas, eaten straight from a stone molcajete with tostadas and a cold drink. The classic version is raw prawns cured only in lime, and that raw version is the risky one: lime juice does not kill bacteria or parasites the way heat does. This safer version poaches the prawns for a minute or two until just pink and opaque, chills them and then dresses them, so you keep the snap and the fierce, grassy chilli heat. Even so, treat any cold seafood dish with care: the raw classic is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system. Serve with crisp corn tostadas and slices of avocado. Chef's tip: blend the chilli water with ice-cold water and pour it on at the last minute, so it stays vivid green and the prawns stay crisp.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb raw king prawnspeeled and deveined, tails on or off
- 2 tsp salt1 tsp for the poaching water, 1 tsp for the chilli water
- 1 cucumberpeeled, halved, seeds scooped out, thinly sliced into half-moons
- 1 red onionsmall, very thinly sliced
For the chilli water
- ¾ cup lime juicefrom about 6 limes, freshly squeezed
- 3 serrano chilliesstalks removed; use 2 for a milder version
- ½ oz fresh corianderleaves and tender stems
- ¼ cup ice-cold water
- 1 garlicsmall clove, peeled
To serve
- 1 avocado (optional)ripe, sliced
- 8 corn tostadas (optional)crisp fried or baked corn tortillas
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Bring a medium pan of water to a gentle simmer and add half of 1 tsp salt. Fill a bowl with iced water and set it beside the stove.
5 minStep 2: Slip 1 ⅛ lb raw king prawns into the simmering water and poach for 1–2 minutes, just until they turn pink all over and the flesh is opaque right through when you cut the thickest one. Lift them straight into the iced water.
2 minStep 3: Once cold, drain the prawns, pat them dry and slice each one in half lengthwise (butterfly-style) so the dressing can coat every surface. Keep them covered in the fridge while you make the chilli water.
Step 4: Put ¾ cup lime juice, 3 serrano chillies, ½ oz fresh coriander, ¼ cup ice-cold water, 1 garlic and the rest of 1 tsp salt in a blender and blitz until smooth and bright green. Taste: it should be sharp, salty and hot.
Step 6: Pour the chilli water over, cover and return to the fridge for 5–10 minutes so the flavours meet. Don't leave it for an hour: that's the usual reason aguachile prawns turn chalky and rubbery.
10 minStep 7: Serve cold, straight from the dish, with avocado slices and tostadas for scooping. Eat within the hour and keep any leftovers refrigerated.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 180 kcal
- Protein
- 25 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does aguachile take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of cucumber?
- Courgette, same weight (in salads, use young ones).
- What can I use instead of red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
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