Aguachile
I first tried aguachile when I was visiting Ajijic in Jalisco, Mexico. Ajijic is a quaint town next to Chapala Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Mexico. I fell in love with this spicy, cold dish, made with freshly caught shrimp marinated in a serrano-lime juice mixture and topped with fresh red onions, avocados, and cucumbers. This will keep for up to two days in the refrigerator but is best served within one hour. Serve it with tostadas on the side and an optional ice-cold Mexican beer to tame down the heat.
Ingredients
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1 pound large shrimp - peeled, deveined, and butterflied
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1 ¼ cups freshly squeezed lime juice
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4 fresh serrano chiles, stemmed
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⅓ cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems
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1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided, or to taste
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1 small red onion, thinly sliced
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1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and sliced
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1 cucumber, sliced
Description
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Divide shrimp onto two shallow plates.
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Blend lime juice, chiles, cilantro leaves and stems, and 1 teaspoon salt in a blender until smooth. Pour 1/2 of the mixture over each plate of shrimp.
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Cover and marinate in the refrigerator until shrimp turn opaque and white, 15 to 25 minutes.
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To serve, top each plate with red onion and avocado. Place cucumber around the edges. Sprinkle with remaining salt.