A friend of mine who follows my blog was commenting a while back that she was becoming more adventurous with spices, and was about to make an aguachile. I got excited because I didn’t know what that was! And of course I had to find out.
Aguachile, in literal translation, is ‘chile water.’ The dish originally comes from the Sonoran Sierras in Mexico, where ranching was the local trade, and was made with machaca (dried beef floss) that was rehydrated in water that got its kick from tiny, round, potent wild Chiltepin chiles.
According to chef Claudette Zepeda, “Anything can be an aguachile if you take creative freedom with it.” I found her recipe for this aguachile on the Food and Wine website.
Claudette Zepeda is an award-winning Mexican-American chef born and raised in Tijuana, known for her bold culinary style. She was the executive chef and creative force behind the critically acclaimed regional Mexican restaurant, El Jardin.
This is indeed a vibrant, unique dish. If you google aguachile, you’ll see primarily bowls of green, some with shrimp or fish. It was truly an innovative jump for Ms. Zepeda to invent an aguachile with strawberries, but it works!
Strawberry Aguachile
Printable recipe below
2 1/2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered lengthwise (about 7 1/2 cups), divided
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
1 small (5-ounce) red bell pepper
3 medium scallions (about 2 ounces), trimmed
1 small (1 1/4-ounce) bunch fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped peeled Persian cucumber (from 1 small [2-ounce] cucumber)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 medium limes)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 medium lemon)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh hoja santa (from 1 leaf) (optional)
5 dried chiltepin or pequin chiles (unseeded), crushed
1 bunch radishes (such as French breakfast or purple), thinly sliced lengthwise
Radish microgreens, for garnish
1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)
Stir together 6 cups strawberries, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Cover and cook, undisturbed, until berries release their juices, about 1 hour.
Pour through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a large bowl; let drain, stirring occasionally but not pressing down on berries, until no more liquid drips, about 30 minutes. Discard solids. (You should have 1 1/2 cups strawberry juice.)
While strawberries cook, preheat oven to broil with rack 6 inches from heat. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; place bell pepper on prepared baking sheet. Broil in preheated oven, turning occasionally, until charred on all sides, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven; transfer bell pepper to a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; let stand 10 minutes. Uncover and place bell pepper on a clean cutting board. Peel off charred skin, and remove and discard stem and seeds. Roughly chop bell pepper. Set aside 1/3 cup chopped bell pepper; reserve remaining bell pepper for another use. (I roasted the red bell pepper on my stove.)
Using a knife, separate white and light green parts of scallion from dark green parts. Thinly slice dark green parts on a sharp diagonal, and set aside. Separate cilantro leaves from stems; reserve 4 or 5 stems (1/8 ounce), and discard remaining stems. Set cilantro leaves aside.
Combine cucumber, lime juice, lemon juice, hoja santa (if using), chiltepin chiles, strawberry juice, chopped bell pepper, white and light green scallion parts, and reserved cilantro stems in a blender; process until smooth, about 1 minute.
Pour through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a large bowl or a liquid measuring cup; discard solids. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.
Fill a bowl with ice water. Add dark green scallion parts, and let stand 30 seconds. Remove from water; drain and pat dry.
Divide strawberry broth evenly among 4 bowls. Arrange remaining 1 1/2 cups strawberries over broth. Arrange dark green scallion parts, radishes, and cilantro leaves or radish microgreens, as desired, around strawberries.
Top evenly with flaky sea salt; serve immediately.
All I can say is “WOW! This aguachile is amazing! Fruity, layered, spicy, and addictive. Don’t add any more chile peppers just because they’re so tiny!
I grew hoja santa just for this recipe! Can’t wait to use more of it.
This aguachile would be perfect as a first course, or perhaps as part of a lunch served with lobster quesadillas.
Strawberry Aguachile
2 ½ pounds fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered lengthwise (about 7 1/2 cups), divided
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
1 small (5-ounce) red bell pepper
3 medium scallions (about 2 ounces), trimmed
1 small (1 1/4-ounce) bunch fresh cilantro
¼ cup chopped peeled Persian cucumber (from 1 small [2-ounce] cucumber)
¼ cup fresh lime juice (from 2 medium limes)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 medium lemon)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh hoja santa (from 1 leaf) (optional)
5 dried chiltepin or pequin chiles (unseeded), crushed
1 bunch radishes (such as French breakfast or purple), thinly sliced lengthwise
Radish microgreens, for garnish
¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)
Stir together 6 cups strawberries, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Cover and cook, undisturbed, until berries release their juices, about 1 hour.
Pour through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a large bowl; let drain, stirring occasionally but not pressing down on berries, until no more liquid drips, about 30 minutes. Discard solids. (You should have 1 1/2 cups strawberry juice.)
While strawberries cook, preheat oven to broil with rack 6 inches from heat. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; place bell pepper on prepared baking sheet. Broil in preheated oven, turning occasionally, until charred on all sides, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven; transfer bell pepper to a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; let stand 10 minutes.
Uncover and place bell pepper on a clean cutting board. Peel off charred skin, and remove and discard stem and seeds. Roughly chop bell pepper. Set aside 1/3 cup chopped bell pepper; reserve remaining bell pepper for another use.
Using a knife, separate white and light green parts of scallion from dark green parts. Thinly slice dark green parts on a sharp diagonal, and set aside.
Separate cilantro leaves from stems; reserve 4 or 5 stems (1/8 ounce), and discard remaining stems. Set cilantro leaves aside.
Combine cucumber, lime juice, lemon juice, hoja santa (if using), chiltepin chiles, strawberry juice, chopped bell pepper, white and light green scallion parts, and reserved cilantro stems in a blender; process until smooth, about 1 minute.
Pour through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a large bowl or a liquid measuring cup; discard solids. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.
Fill a bowl with ice water. Add dark green scallion parts, and let stand 30 seconds. Remove from water; drain and pat dry.
Divide strawberry broth evenly among 4 bowls. Arrange remaining 1 1/2 cups strawberries over broth. Arrange dark green scallion parts, radishes, and cilantro leaves or radish microgreens, as desired, around strawberries. Top evenly with flaky sea salt; serve immediately.
Make Ahead
Strawberry juice can be prepared up to 1 day in advance and stored in an airtight container in refrigerator. Strawberry broth can be prepared through step 3 up to 12 hours in advance and stored in an airtight container in refrigerator.
Note
Hoja santa is an herb, common in Central American cooking, with an anise-like flavor. It is available at most Latin grocery stores. Chiltepin or pequin chiles can be found online at mexgrocer.com.
Suggested Pairing
Light, berry-scented rosé: Gérard Bertrand Source of Joy