Alligator Aguachile
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While on a recent trip to our nations capitol, Justin Townsend and I found ourselves across from each other staring longingly into a bowl of bright green liquid, attempting to pick apart its nuances and bring a version home to roost. Aguachile, translating to “firewater” in Spanish has its origins in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, a costal plain where the Sierra Madre meanders towards the Gulf of California.
Although this dish has its origins in the Sierra as a method of rehydrating red meat, aguachile is now best known as ceviche’s spicier, more herbaceous cousin, complimenting most seafood with its bright citrus notes and lingering heat while providing a cold, refreshing treat on any day. We chose to use some recently harvested alligator that was lightly grilled before giving it the acid treatment.
Aguachile originated as little more than crushed chipitlin peppers in water, yet it evolved into a wonderful blend of ingredients that tells a story of a landscape and its people. While traditionally made in a molcajete (a large Mexican mortar and pestle), this version employs a blender, with the option of straining the vegetal material from the liquid for other uses. The resulting green broth is quaffable and would pair well with mescal.
Serving Size: 2-4 appetizer portions
Time to make: 15 minutes
Special Equipment: blender, strainer
Also works with: most seafood
Looking for more alligator recipes? Try this Blackened Alligator Tacos with Macques Choux Salsa and Remoulade recipe by Adam Berkelmans!
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Alligator Aguachile
4
servings30
minutes40
minutesKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
- For the Liquid
1 can coconut water (16oz)
1 cucumber, reserve some slices for garnish
3 -? hot chiles, traditionally these are chipitlin peppers, but jalapeno and serrano are great substitutes. Use your judgement, choose your heat
3 cloves garlic
1 bunch cilantro or culantro, rinsed, stems removed
1/4 red onion chopped
- For the Protein
Juice of 8 limes (about 1/2 cup)
Protein of choice – We used lightly grilled alligator strips, but any fish or seafood will do
- For the Garnish
1/4 julienned red onion
a few thin radish slices
tortilla or plantain chips for scooping
Preparation
- How to make it
- Place protein in lime juice mixing well, unlike ceviche, the protein in aguachile is meant to be served almost raw. Do this at your discretion.
- Grate cucumber on cheese grater into towel or cheesecloth, squeeze liquid out and reserve for aquachile.
- Place all remaining ingredients into blender and blend until the mixture is as fine as possible, strain, reserving liquid for aquachile, pressing the vegetal matter firmly to remove as much liquid as possible.
- The vegetal material makes a “chimmchuri”, and great compound butter if strained.
- For the Garnish
- Cucumber slices, radish slices, cilantro sprigs, more hot chiles
- For plating
- Mix all liquids together, dispense into individual bowls, serve with tortilla or plantain chips.
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