Mango Habanero Aguachile
536 days ago
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Aguachile typifies what authentic Mexican food is, which is fresh and flavorful. As exotic as it may sound, it’s very easy to make and you don’t even have to turn on the stove.
The ingredients in this Mango Habanero Aguachile are ones I often use to make a Mexican version of ceviche, which I first had during a visit to Holbox Island. It was different than aguachile, as it was mostly finely chopped shrimp, mango and vegetables without a chile sauce.
This recipe takes the same ingredients from the ceviche, but keeps the shrimp whole and uses what ends up being the most delicious mango sauce. The sauce gets poured over lime-marinated shrimp and fresh cucumbers. That’s it!
Preparing the Shrimp
Get the freshest shrimp you can find. If you must use frozen shrimp, try to find wild-caught versus farm raised.
The only real prep for the shrimp is to butterfly it which creates more surface area for the flavors to adhere. The sharp edge of a 3″ Gourmet Paring Knife makes it easy.
Toss the butterflied shrimp into a bowl with enough lime juice to cover them. Stir and chill for about 20 minutes. The acidity of the lime juice cooks the shrimp, so it should turn pink when ready.
Making the Sauce
The sauce is what really gives this recipe its memorable flavor.
Get the ripest mangos possible. They will have less tartness and acid, which you will get from the limes. To prepare the mango, use a 6" Vegetable Knife to slice down along the seed on one side of the fruit and then the other.
Once the halves of mango are removed, use a 4" Paring Knife to make cross cuts into the fruit and then remove the mango pieces with a spoon or knife. For more information on how to do it, take a look at our How to Easily Cut a Mango video tutorial.
The mango is pureed along with a habanero pepper to give it a little heat. You can add more or less habanero to your taste.
Serving the Aguachile
To serve Mango Habanero Aguachile, thinly slice some cucumbers and lay them out on a platter. Place the shrimp on top, pour on the mango sauce and garnish with diced avocado, diced mango, thinly sliced red onion and thinly sliced habanero.
For preparing the habanero, remove the stem and the seeds, which contain the most heat, and slice with a 4″ Gourmet Paring Knife.
You can also sprinkle on some crushed chiltepin (berry-like hot peppers) if you want even more heat. Serve the aguachile with tostadas or saltine crackers.
What I think you’ll like about this recipe is how quickly it comes together and how colorful it is. Not to mention how much flavor it has. I love the sweetness of the mango, the coolness of the cucumbers and the touch of heat from the habanero (depending on how much you use). It’s the perfect dish for a family gathering or backyard barbecue.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 pound gulf shrimp, deveined and butterflied
- 1 1/2 cups fresh lime juice, divided (about 12 limes)
- 3 large mangos (2 chopped and 1 diced)
- 1 habanero pepper, seeds and stems removed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cucumbers, sliced thin and salted
- 1/2 red onion, sliced thin
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1/2 habanero pepper, sliced very thin
- Pinch of chiltepin
- 1 package tostadas or saltine crackers
Directions
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Place butterflied shrimp in bowl and add enough lime juice (about 3/4 cup) to cover. Stir and chill for around 20 minutes. The shrimp will firm in the juice. It should still be soft and not chewy.
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Place 3/4 cup lime juice, chopped mangos, 1 habanero pepper (to taste) and salt in blender. Blend for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth. Check for spice level, add more habanero if desired.
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On a large platter, lay out sliced cucumbers. Next add layer of prepared shrimp. Pour blended sauce over shrimp and cucumbers.
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Garnish with diced mango, red onion, avocado, 1/2 of a thinly sliced habanero and chiltepin, if you prefer additional heat. Season with salt.
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Serve with tostadas or saltine crackers.
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