Baked Aguachile
The name aguachile comes from the form in which this water-chile dressing is prepared. It’s a traditional dish along the Sinaloa and Nayarit coasts of Mexico.
I created this variation for my friends who stay arms length from eating marinated forms of raw fish. Now they can have a culinary experience of these amazing flavors in aguachile. It’s as authentic in ingredients, flavor and aroma as the traditional method of preparation.
Ceviche is marinated fish (cooked/denatured) in citrus juice from 30 to 90 minutes depending on thickness of fish or shrimp and aguachile is marinated from 0 to 5 minutes. For this reason some folks perceive these dishes to be made of raw fish. Prepare this recipe and there is no need to worry about guests who avoid ceviche and aguachile. Let’s get started.
Ingredients
Serves 4
Baked fish
6-8 large hojas (dried corn husks or sheets of parchment paper)
4 four to five ounce portions of Cod fish ( or any mild white fish of your choice)
¼ large red onion, sliced in semi-circles
16 sliced circles of chile serrano (2 chiles)
16 lime circles (2 limes)
Salt
Agua de chile
8-10 pods chile pequin*
½ teaspoon chile serrano deseeded and diced
⅛ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
¼ teaspoon coarse salt
½ cup of lime juice
¼ cup water
Garnish
1 small cucumber peeled, sliced in half circles
1/3 cup red onion thinly sliced
Preparation
Husks
Rinse the corn husks in water to remove any debris. Soak to soften them for about 15 minutes while you prepare the ingredients. When it’s time to assemble the fish, shake out the husks of excess water. If the husks are not wide enough to wrap a piece of fish it’s easy to use 2 smaller overlapping husks. Tear 8 to 10 ¼ inch strips for tying the husks.
Fish
Rinse and dry the fish and lightly salt both sides. On each single husk, place a few red onion slices and 2 lime circles. On top of this, place a portion of fish and over each fillet, lay 4 circles of serrano chile, a few red onion slices and 2 circles of lime. Wrap the husk around the fish and tie each end with a strip of husk like a tamal. Bake for 12 minutes at 350o F.
Agua de chile
Use a molcajete (or motar and pestle) to grind the chile pequin, diced serrano, salt and pepper.. Add the lime and water and reserve the aguachile.
Plating
Unwrap the husk and pour several tablespoons of aguachile over the fish. Garnish with fresh onion and cucumber slices. Serve with hot corn tortillas and rice.
* Notes
A molcajete is a stone tool, the traditional Mexican version of the mortar and pestle.
Chile pequin is a small chile pod that has a citrusy, nutty and smoky flavor. It’s hotter than jalapeños, serrano and chile de arbol. You may substitute chile de arbol for pequin in this recipe.
Buen provecho !
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