This aguachile negro is tangy, spicy, refreshing, and easy to make. If you’re not already on board with tinned fish recipes you will be after this.
Let’s face it, how many people know how to cook octopus?
And if you do, you know it takes an hour just to boil it. Tinned octopus comes perfectly cooked and ready to eat, making this recipe a breeze.
What is aguachile?
Aguachile is a Mexican dish that translates to “chili water”. It consists of seafood marinated in a spicy, acidic marinade. There are now many types of seafood and marinades used in aguachile. Raw shrimp is the most common seafood used, however, octopus, scallops, and other seafood may also be used. Here, I chose tinned octopus, which comes fully cooked and tender from the tin.
What’s the difference between aguachile and ceviche?
Aguachile
- Originates from Sinaloa, Mexico
- Raw seafood (typically butterflied shrimp) in a generous amount of chili water
- Served immediately after mixing with lots of marinade (I describe it as more wet)
Ceviche
- Origin is debated, but common in Peru, Ecuador, and later served throughout Mexico
- Chopped or cubed seafood (typically fish) in an acidic marinade
- Marinated for longer or with more acid for a firmer cooked texture
Why is it called “aguachile negro”?
The flavors or marinades for aguachile are often named for their colors like red (rojo), green (verde), and black (negro).
This aguachile negro gets its color primarily from soy sauce and Maggi. Other variations of aguachile negro incorporate charred vegetables for a dark color. Maggi is a seasoning sauce made mainly from hydrolyzed wheat protein, which is high in glutamic acid (the same stuff as MSG). If you don’t have Maggi, substitute an equal amount of Worcestershire sauce.
Soy sauce might not be commonly associated with Mexcian cuisine, but it is now common in the aguachile negro found in Culiacán. Chinese laborers brought soy sauce to Mexico in the 1800s. Mexico is also notably the first Latin American country to accept Japanese and Korean immigrants in the early 1900s. As a result of the growing East Asian population in Mexico, their cultural traditions began to blend with the local cuisine.
What tin of octopus should I use?
You might be surprised that tinned octopus is largely the same across canneries. Octopus is generally a bycatch product, meaning it’s accidentally caught while fishing for other species. This means the raw product is similar across producers, however, the attention to detail in processing the raw octopus differentiates price and quality.
I used octopus in olive oil from Conservas de Cambados, which is consistently excellent. Here are some tins I have tried and recommend:
- Conservas de Cambados Octopus in Olive Oil (buy on Amazon, buy on Lata)
- Matiz Octopus in Spanish Olive Oil (buy on Amazon)
- Vigo Jumbo Squid in Olive and Sunflower Oil (buy on Amazon)
Any variety of octopus, squid, or cuttlefish will work here. Don’t have octopus but have other tinned fish on hand? Check out some of my other recipes using tinned fish.
Aguachile Negro with Tinned Octopus
Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic skin-on
- 1 habanero pepper
- 1/3 cup lime juice
- 1 tbsp maggi sub Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp clamato optional
- 4 tbsp cilantro
- 1 cucumber 1/4 inch slices
- 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
- 2 tins octopus in olive oil
- tostadas to serve
Instructions
- Heat a dry skillet on medium high. Add 1 clove garlic and 1 habanero pepper, turning occasionally until charred on all sides.
- Add charred garlic, habanero pepper, 1/3 cup lime juice, 1 tbsp maggi, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp clamato, and half of the cilantro to a blender. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with more lime juice or soy sauce (limes vary in acidity and soy sauce varies in sodium).
- In a mixing bowl, combine the blended marinade, 2 tins octopus in olive oil, 1 cucumber, and 1/2 red onion.
- Serve immediately with tostadas, topped with remaining cilantro.
