Oysters with Uni and Aguachile
Could there be a more perfect bite? We topped some freshly shucked Empress Oysters with a vibrant and spicy aguachile marinade, some delicious and buttery Maine uni, and very necessary garnish of trout roe. Trust me, this is something you’ll want to make again and again.
Aguachile is a type of Mexican ceviche that hails from Sinaloa. The most classic version is made with fresh raw shrimp, cucumber, red onion, lime juice, and chilies (typically serranos or jalapeños) that have been pulverized with some water—hence the name, which translates to “chili water.” It's usually served with avocado and tostadas, and is a popular snack with beer and tequila.
Think of aguachile as the cousin of a ceviche. The biggest difference is that in a ceviche, the seafood is typically marinated in citrus for 15-20 minutes for optimal curing time. A traditional aguachile is meant to be served semi-immediately, which means it's just about sashimi-raw when you eat it. (Although many recipes will allow for a longer seafood marinating time).
Oysters seemed like a perfect fit for an aguachile marinade. The brininess of a Maine oyster would provide the optimal salinity to balance the spice of the marinade. I also wanted to incorporate some delicious Maine uni for a contrasting pop of orange, and a buttery flavor to compliment the spice. I also garnished my oysters with some trout roe for a hint of added smokiness, and a fun pop of texture.
This is a supremely simple recipe to make that can be used with other types of seafood — from shrimp to scallops to whitefish. Aguachile is simply a combination of fresh lime juice, cilantro, cucumber, salt, and some heat (either jalapeños or serranos). I add in some parsley for a hint of brightness. You can also add in a clove of garlic or two for some added flavoring. When making a full aguachile dish, thinly sliced red onions and avocado is used as a garnish. Here, I opted to forego the onion and avocado in exchange for some Maine uni and trout roe — I was not upset with this decision.
Oysters with Uni and Aguachile
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prep your produce: Begin by removing the skin of one English cucumber. Chop the cucumber in half. One half of your cucumber will be used in your aguachile marinade. The other half of your cucumber can be thinly cubed to serve as a crunchy topping for your oysters. Next, halve and dice your jalapeños. Remember, more jalapeños = more heat to your aguachile, and this marinade can get spicy. If you want to be conservative in your spice level, remove the seeds from your jalapeños.
- Make the Aguachile Marinade: Place the ingredients in a food processor, and blend until smooth, for a full minute, scraping down the sides as necessary.
- The Oysters: Carefully shuck out your oysters. Ensure that any grit or dirt is removed form the oyster meat.
- Assembling: Spoon the aguachile marinade onto the shucked oyster. Add on 1-2 tsp of your reserved English cucumber cubes. Place one (or more!) tongue of uni across your oyster. Garnish with your trout roe.
Notes
- Make your aguachile too spicy? The spice in the aguachile can get hot fast. If you think you may have overdone it on the jalapeño front, all is not lost! Taste-test your aguachile before removing it from your food processor. If it’s too spicy, add in a few pieces of cucumber and blend to incorporate — cucumber juice is incredibly refreshing and will work to counteract some of that jalapeño heat. Don’t have any cucumber? That’s okay! Just use water! Traditional aguachile is made using water. Add in 1/4 cup of water to your aguachile marinade to begin, taste-test, and add more as necessary.
- Have extra aguachile? Aguachile is absolutely delicious with other types of seafood. Traditionally the marinade is served up with shrimp. You can use the exact same Aguachile Marinade you made above for the oysters, and substitute in some shrimp. In order to do so, you will want to butterfly raw deveined shrimp, and marinade them in a combination of lime juice and sea salt for approximately 20 minutes. The shrimp will turn a light pink color, indicating that acidity of the lime is “cooking” them. Leaving the lime juice in, pour your aguachile marinade over the shrimp. Garnish with avocado, (pickled) red onions, or radishes - whatever you desire!
