Aguachiles: 3 Spicy Mexican Ceviches

Put your favorite Mexican beer on ice – aguachiles are meant to make you sweat! While both Central and South America are known for their penchant towards combining the freshest seafood from their shores with bitingly sour lime juice, it’s the heat in aguachiles that makes this ubiquitous bite distinct from other types of ceviche.

Hailing from Mazatlan, Mexico, aguachiles literally translates to “fire water.” In this Mexican coastal city, local fishermen are known to whip up a batch of aguachiles shore side. Using only a net, pole, and buoy trap, los pescadores use whatever bounty they have pulled out of the sea that morning. Shrimp, white fish such as Dorado, scallops, and octopus are common and traditional finds.

While there is some debate about the authenticity of the type of chile used in the preparation of aguachiles, and how the chile should be prepared – fresh, dried and ground, smashed – any type of heat-packing capsicum will do.

What is agreed upon is that aguachiles, as with any fish eaten raw or close-to, needs the very best fish to achieve palate perfection. Ask your grocer what days they receive new product and use your senses. Fish should have a clean, slightly sweet and salty smell. If it smells like fish, it’s too old. Also, when you aren’t working with your fish, make sure to send it back to the fridge. That means at every step of the way, from when you come home from the market to the time you use it, and after you have added the lime juice. Finally, when in doubt, add more lime juice. Your fish should be swimming in citrus, its the only cooking method the ingredient will come into contact with.

So, while not exactly basking on a sunny beach in Mexico (unless, of course, you live on a sunny beach in Mexico), you will swear you have sand between your toes while trying out these easy aguachiles variations. It’s perfect as a deceptively haute appetizer for your next dinner party, as well as a simple, light lunch for two. Just make sure there are plenty of ice cold cervezas are on hand to put out the fire. Here are a few recipes to get you started.

Aguachiles with White Fish and Plantains

• 1 pound white fish
• 1 cup lime juice
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 2 jalapeño, Serrano, or other spicy chiles, sliced finely (seeds removed, optional)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 very ripe plantain, diced
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

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Aguachiles with Shrimp, Cucumber, and Avocado

• 1/2 pound medium shrimp, de-veined, rinsed, and cut down the middle vertically
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 2 jalapeño, Serrano, or other heat-packing chile, chopped fine (seeds removed, optional)
• 1/4 small red onion, finely sliced vertically
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1/2 medium cucumber
• 1 avocado
• 4-5 big basil leaves, finely sliced

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Aguachiles with Rock Shrimp and Radishes

• 1 pound rock shrimp
• 3/4 cup lime juice
• 3 tablespoons finely sliced red onion
• 2 jalapeño, Serrano or other spicy chiles, sliced finely (seeds removed, optional)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 radishes, chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro, minced

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