Aguachile Rojo

This is a traditional Mexican "shrimp cocktail" type cold soup absolutely famous for its healing abilities after an extreme night out! There is also nothing fattening about this recipe! 

Aguachile rojo (the "red" version) bursts with seafood flavor and becomes terribly addictive. It's basically custom for all aguachile stands/eateries in Mexico to be full on a Saturday/Sunday morning for all those party-hardy hurting heads and stomachs.

We start with the main component -- shrimp! Gather a pound or two, depending on how many in your party is aching and starving, ha!

Rinse, shell, and de-vein them shrimp. Also, keep the shells! You will use them to make a mightily spectacular soup base!

Next, prepare a red onion by slicing it in half. If you have celery on hand, rinse just one stalk and knife into large pieces.

While you're at it, separate and peel one entire clove of garlic.

Fill a large pot with water and plop in one half of the red onion and the pieces of celery. 

Drop in the shrimp shells.

Add a dash of salt and ground pepper.

Then bring to a boil for a long while, until the onion and celery have become tender and faded in color.

If you have a metal strainer handy, you'll need it at this stage to boil the shrimp. You can also simply drop the shrimp in freely to cook as well, but you'll have to fish every one out amongst the celery/onion/shells. 

After shrimp has cooked, dump into a bowl and rinse under cool water.

Remember all this time, the broth is continuing to build that fantastical flavor since we're leaving everything in the pot even to this moment.

Ziplock bag the shrimp and place into the refrigerator immediately to begin their journey to ze cold.

Afterwards, strain/pick out every single thing in the pot of broth. Set somewhere to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate as well!

Slice up the other half of the red onion and, along with the garlic, zip lock and refrigerate.

Meanwhile, prepare your ultra green vegetables! Cilantro, a bunch of limes, Serrano peppers, and cucumber.

Next are your red supplies: Clamato juice, hot sauce, and a crowd pleaser -- Valentina sauce. It's extremely flavorful and fairly mild. 

After the Clamato and soup base have been thoroughly chilled, you're set to prepare. Core the cucumber and put a knife to a tomato or two.

Dice the cucumber, cilantro, Serrano peppers, and press/crush a few choice pieces of your garlic. Be as messy as you'd like!

Ripe avocados are an absolute necessity. 

Then it's time to set up your aguachile bowl! Grind some fresh pepper, add a Piquin pepper or two for important spice (found at Fiesta supermarket), and add a bit of crushed garlic and Serrano pepper.

Crush the Piquin peppers with the rest of the mixture with the back of a spoon, then add a generous splash of Worcestershire sauce.

  

Next, ladle two to three scoops of chilled shrimp stock/soup base into your bowl.

Add a handful of chilled, beautiful shrimp!

And then fill the rest with Clamato juice.

Lastly, add all of those diced preparations. Sprinkle everything on top -- cilantro, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, avocado -- and stir a few times. Don't forget lime juice and Valentina/hot sauce, and add salt to taste.

Finished product? Not just yet. But how colorful is this?!

You're missing two important items. First, tortilla chips.

And a Michelada, a mini one for you faithful dieters.

Altogether, it makes one satisfying and nostalgic meal that will nurse your body back to prime health. Aguachile also soothes your extreme seafood craving! All finished!

Enjoy~!