AGUACHILE CON CAMARÓN/ RAW SHRIMP IN LIME AND CHILE

AGUACHILE CON CAMARÓN/
RAW SHRIMP IN LIME AND CHILE
“I BELIEVE IN THE PLEASURE OF EATING
THE FRESHEST SEAFOOD

INGREDIENTS
Serves 4 to 6
575g medium, head-on,
peel-on shrimp, raw
2 tsp sea salt, plus more as needed
240ml freshly squeezed lime juice
from about 8 limes, plus 1 to 2
additional limes
60ml shrimp stock
120g red onion, julienned
10g parsley leaves
10g cilantro leaves, packed
8g chile serrano
300g cucumber, cut into thin rounds
1 tsp chiltepin or chile piquín
Maldon sea salt or another finishing salt
25g cold-pressed olive oil
Totopos (deep-fried tortilla chips)
for serving
For the shrimp stock:
Heads and shells of shrimp
(all that you get from your recipe)
470ml water
50g onion
40g celery
8g parsley
1 bay leaf
METHOD
Prepare the shrimp: Remove the heads of the shrimp and set
them aside to make the shrimp stock. Using a knife or your fingers,
remove the shells and set them aside with the heads. With a paring
knife, devein the shrimp by making a shallow incision down the
middle of the shrimp’s back and removing the black vein with the
tip of your knife. Discard the vein. Butterfly the shrimp and use your
fingers or a knife to ensure that all of the meat is white and clean.
Set the meat aside in a small bowl.
Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the salt over the shrimp and stir to combine.
Add enough lime juice to cover the shrimp and set aside to cure for 4
to 5 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Make the shrimp stock: Rinse the scraps of the shrimp to remove
any blood or impurities. Simmer the scraps with about 470 milliliters
of water and the onion, celery, parsley, and bay leaf (plus any other
aromatics or vegetable scraps you’d like) for 20 to 30 minutes,
skimming the surface occasionally with a wire skimmer. Once the
stock is cooked, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve. Set ¼ cup of the
shrimp stock aside, and store the remaining stock in the refrigerator
for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Pickle the onions: Place the onions in a small bowl, and sprinkle
them with ½ teaspoon of salt. Add enough lime juice to barely cover
the onions and quickly “pickle” them. The juice should turn pink
when it hits the onions.
Make the aguachile: In a blender, combine the shrimp stock,
parsley, cilantro, and 1/2 of a serrano, along with the remaining lime
juice and the juice that the shrimp has been curing in. Taste and,
if necessary for acidity, squeeze an additional 1 to 2 limes into the
blender. Blend until you have a smooth liquid. Taste for seasoning
and adjust if necessary.
Assemble: Pour the contents of the blender into a bowl. Arrange the
shrimp on a serving plate skin side down so they can absorb more
juices. Season the shrimp with a pinch of salt. Spoon the aguachile
over the shrimp until they’re covered. Arrange the cucumbers on top
of the shrimp, and garnish the dish with a few slices of pickled onion.
Sprinkle with ground chiltepin or chile piquín and sea salt. Drizzle
with olive oil just before serving. Serve immediately with totopos on
the side.