Show off your talent in the kitchen with this Mazatlan style shrimp aguachile recipe. It’s perfect for those hot days, to prepare during Lent or simply to accompany with a good michelada. Take note.
Table Of Contents
This preparation is recommended by Juan Escalona, chef of the Coyota botanero in CDMX. He told us some secrets to choose fresh shrimp, as well as the places where he buys good quality ingredients.
Ingredients for shrimp aguachile de camarón recipe
- 1 1/2 kilos blue shrimp – $360
- 100 grams of black pepper – $40
- 30 grams of chiltepin chili – $130
- 1 kilo of lime – $34
- 1 large red onion – $25
- 2 large pieces of cucumber – $45
- 1 package of tostadas – $35
- Ice – $33.50
- Grain salt
In total, we spent $702.50 to make this recipe. Keep in mind that it serves up to four people.
How to make an aguachile step by step
The first thing to do is to clean the shellfish; remove the head and then the shell. Slightly shake the tail so that all the meat comes out without waste. You can reserve it to cook a broth at another time.
Open the shrimp lengthwise and butterfly-shaped on the back. Be careful not to cut them completely. Remove the gray colored guts or intestines from the shellfish. When the shrimp are clean, put them aside in a container over another container with ice and water.
Meanwhile, prepare a solution with 2 liters of water and 4 tablespoons of grain salt, stir well. Then, add a cup of ice and place the shrimp in it for 2 minutes. Now, rinse and store your product in the refrigerator.
Let’s continue with the pepper: crush it with a pinch of salt. Once it is well ground, add the chile chiltepín and crush lightly, you can use a molcajete for this step. Reserve and let’s go with the lemon.
The recommendation is to cut it in thirds; avoid using the center as it can make your preparation bitter. Set aside. Cut off the ends of the cucumber and cut them, yes, just like your grandmother taught you. Remove the seeds from the cucumber and cut thin half moons.
Now, chop the onion into thin feathers. Take a deep dish, preferably cold, and squeeze 2/3 of a lime. Place the chili mixture, pepper and salt. Then, 8 pieces of shrimp spread out.
Squeeze another 2/3 lime and a pinch more of the chili mixture. Add cucumber and onion to taste. That’s how easy this Sinaloa style shrimp aguachile recipe is! We recommend eating it with tostadas or tortilla chips.
Where to buy the best ingredients
In Mexico City there are many markets, tianguis and stores where you can get the ingredients; the price depends on where you go.
San Juan Market
This time we followed chef Juan Escalona and the first stop was the Mercado de San Juan located at 2ᵃ calle de Ernesto Pugibet 21, Centro, Cuauhtémoc.
Here you will find the shrimp, go to Pescadería Alicia located in local 76 of the B aisle. Here they sell fresh seafood; the blue shrimp we use comes from Campeche. Don’t forget to ask for some ice so that it arrives at your house as fresh as possible.
Tips for choosing fresh shrimp
Surely you want to find the best shrimp to make this aguachile recipe. First, look at the color; it should be bright and uniform. It should feel completely firm to the touch. If it does not meet these three characteristics, you should know that it is not a fresh product.
One more fact: take into account that shrimp will last up to three days in your refrigerator after buying it. Now then, how to locate an authentic blue shrimp? It’s all in the color: it should be transparent with grayish tints.
🕛Pescadería Alicia is open Monday to Sunday from 7:00 am to 4:30 pm. Please note that on Easter Sunday there will be no service.
At Mercado de San Juan we took the opportunity to buy chile chiltepín, as it is not so easy to find in CDMX. We were surprised to find that it is expensive and in many places they don’t sell the amount you want. Luckily, at Malena e hijas they sold us the grammage we needed, so we also bought black pepper.
📍Pasillo K from Monday to Sunday from 9:00 to 16:30.
Martínez de la Torre Market
Finally, we went to the Mercado Martínez de la Torre in the Guerrero neighborhood. Here we finished buying the list of ingredients: (lemon, onion and cucumber). Look for the stall of Mr. Jesus located in aisle 3, local 4-41. The vegetables he sells are usually of good quality and price.
📍Eje 1 Norte s/n, Guerrero, Cuauhtémoc, service from 8:00 to 17:00 every day.
Now you’re ready to make this shrimp aguachile recipe!