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Caldo de piedra
Fish and tomato stone soup
Caldo de piedra: Oaxaca's Chinantec 'stone soup' of fish, tomato and chilli, made safely on the stove
Caldo de piedra comes from San Felipe Usila in the Chinantla of northern Oaxaca, where Chinantec men cook it by the river: fish, tomato, chilli and epazote go into a gourd bowl of water and red-hot river stones are dropped in to bring it to a fierce boil in seconds. It is eaten as a celebration and every year at a festival in the village. Heating stones at home is dangerous (wet or porous stones can crack or burst), so this version brings a heavy pot to a hard boil first and cooks the fish just as briefly. A portion gives about 38 g of protein, from the fish and prawns, for roughly 260 kcal. The common mistake is letting the fish boil on: it is done in 3–4 minutes, when it turns opaque and flakes, and after that it falls apart. Chef's tip: blend the tomato, onion and chilli raw; the broth tastes fresh and sharp, closer to the riverside original than a cooked sauce.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ lb firm white fish filletssuch as tilapia, snapper or sea bass, in large pieces
- 9 oz raw prawnspeeled, or shell on as in Usila
- 10 ½ oz ripe tomatoesabout 3
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 green chilliesjalapeño or serrano
- 1.2 litre water
- 2 sprigs epazoteor a small bunch of coriander
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- 2 limesin wedges
- 8 corn tortillas (optional)warm, to serve
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Blend 10 ½ oz ripe tomatoes, ½ white onion, 2 cloves garlic and 2 green chillies with 250 ml of the 0.2 litre water until smooth.
Step 2: Pour the rest of 1 litre water into a heavy cast-iron or clay-lined pot, add the tomato mixture and 1 ¼ tsp salt, and bring to a hard, rolling boil over a high heat.
10 minStep 3: Drop in 2 sprigs epazote, then 1 ⅓ lb firm white fish fillets and 9 oz raw prawns. Keep the heat high so it returns to the boil quickly.
Step 4: Cook for only 3–4 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes at a touch and the prawns are pink and curled. Take off the heat at once.
4 minStep 5: Ladle into bowls and serve straight away with 2 limes and 8 corn tortillas.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does caldo de piedra take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 20 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 ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
- What can I use instead of white onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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