Creamy Avocado Aguachile de Pescado
This stunning aguachile features a creamy avocado base blended with lime, cilantro, and serrano, surrounding a beautifully plated tower of sushi-grade fish tossed with red onion and cucumber. Fresh, citrusy, and just spicy enough, it's a restaurant-worthy dish that's surprisingly simple to pull off at home with tostadas or tortilla chips on the side.
Equipment
- Round cookie cutter
- Ring mold
Ingredients
- ½ lb sushi-grade fish, yellowtail, kanpachi sea bass, halibut, or tuna, cut into small cubes
- ¼ cup ripe mashed avocado
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
- ½ – 1 serrano chile, stem removed, seeds in for more heat
- 2 tbsp chopped cucumber, peeled and seeded
- 1 small garlic clove
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- Zest of half a lime
- ¼ – ½ cup cold water, plus more if needed
- Salt, to taste
- 2 tbsp finely minced red onion
- 2 tbsp finely minced cucumber
- Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
- Flaky sea salt, for finishing
- Tostadas or tortilla chips, for serving
Instructions
- Add the avocado, cilantro, serrano, garlic, lime juice, lime zest, cucumber, and salt to a blender and blend on high until completely smooth and creamy.
- Taste and adjust seasoning, add a splash of cold water if it needs loosening – it should be pourable but not too thick and not too watery. Chill in the refrigerator until very cold, at least 15 minutes.
- In a small mixing bowl, mix the cubed fish with two pinches of flaky sea salt, the red onion and cucumber. Toss to thoroughly combine.
- To plate, place a round cookie cutter or ring mold in the center of a wide shallow plate or bowl. Add the cubed fish into the mold, pressing gently to compact into an even short tower. Carefully lift the mold straight up to reveal the tower of fish in the center of the plate.
- Slowly pour the chilled avocado aguachile base around the tower, letting it pool and spread evenly.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately with tostadas on the side.
Notes
- Use truly sushi-grade fish here since it’s served raw. Ask your fishmonger directly and use it the same day you buy it for peak freshness.
- Chill the avocado base really well before plating. A cold base against the fresh fish is what gives this its signature refreshing contrast.
- If you don’t have a ring mold, a clean, empty can with both ends removed works just as well for plating the fish tower!
- Mince the red onion and cucumber very finely. This dish is all about texture, and large pieces will throw off the balance of every bite.
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