Aguachile de Camarón

Aguachile is a dish from Sinaloa on Mexico's Pacific coast — a vibrant, almost-raw preparation where plump prawns are "cooked" by the acid of fresh lime juice, then dressed in a fiery green chilli and cucumber broth. It is served ice-cold and eaten immediately.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 500g (1 lb) large raw prawns, peeled, deveined, and butterflied
• 180ml (¾ cup) freshly squeezed lime juice (about 8 limes)
• 3 serrano chillies, roughly chopped (seeds included)
• 1 bunch fresh coriander (about 30g / 1 oz)
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced into rounds
• ½ small red onion, very thinly sliced, soaked in cold water 10 minutes
• 1 avocado, sliced
• Tostadas and extra lime to serve

Instructions

1. Blend lime juice, serrano chillies, coriander, and salt until very smooth. Strain through a fine sieve if you prefer a cleaner broth.
2. Place butterflied prawns flat in a single layer in a non-reactive dish. Pour the green lime broth over them. They will begin turning pink within 5 minutes.
3. Cure for 8-10 minutes — the prawns should be just opaque but still tender, not rubbery.
4. Arrange cucumber and drained red onion on a cold serving platter. Lay the prawns on top and pour the aguachile broth over.
5. Garnish with avocado slices. Serve immediately with tostadas and extra lime.

Cook's Notes: Keep everything refrigerator-cold before assembling. The longer the prawns sit in the lime, the firmer they become — 8-10 minutes is the sweet spot for silky texture.