← Nouns Cooking · Mexican

Ingredients

• 500 g very fresh raw prawns, sold as safe to eat raw, peeled, deveined and butterflied
• 1 tsp Salt
• 120 ml fresh lime juice (about 5 limes)
• 2 serrano chillies
• 1 handful coriander, leaves and tender stems
• 1 clove Garlic (optional)
• 60 ml cold water
• 1 Cucumber, peeled and sliced into half-moons
• ½ Red onion, very thinly sliced
• 1 Avocado, sliced
• 8 tostadas

Method

1. Lay the butterflied prawns flat in a single layer on a shallow dish, sprinkle with half the salt and keep in the fridge.
2. Blend the lime juice, serranos, coriander, garlic (if using), water and the rest of the salt until smooth and bright green.
3. Pour the green sauce over the prawns so they’re submerged. Chill for 15 min, until the prawns turn pinkish and opaque at the edges but stay tender in the middle.
4. Scatter over the cucumber and red onion and toss gently.
5. Serve at once, ice-cold, with avocado and tostadas, spooning plenty of the chilli lime juice over each bite.

Tips

• Lime juice does not kill bacteria. Use only prawns sold as sashimi-grade or safe to eat raw (often frozen at sea), keep them cold, and skip this dish for pregnant guests, young children or anyone with a weak immune system.
• Prefer it cooked? Blanch the prawns for 30 seconds in boiling water and chill them before adding the sauce.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Maricruz Avalos ¡Hola! Jalapeño My Latina Table