Reprinted with permission from Mi Cocina: Recipes and Rapture from My Kitchen in Mexico by Rick Martinez, copyright © 2022. Photographs copyright © 2022 by Ren Fuller. Published by Clarkson Potter Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

Fresh, butterflied shrimp with avocado, cucumber, lime, and a spicy serrano salsa.

I love Pacific-caught shrimp. The first time I tried them I was in a town called Barra de Navidad. Every morning the shrimp dinghies and the young fisherman would come in with their haul. They sold fresh shrimp ceviche with crispy tortillas and fresh coconut water harvested from the trees along the beach. And for the ten days I was there, that was my breakfast.

Twenty years later, I walk the beaches in Mazatlán with a mission to try aguachile at just about every puesto I find. I had forgotten until I moved here how much I love fresh shrimp. Mazatlán is known around the country for its sweet shrimp and this dish is iconic—and, I believe, the best way to showcase the gorgeousness of this ingredient. If you follow my social, you know how much aguachile I eat and how much I love it. Whenever I make ceviche or aguachile, I look for the freshest shrimp possible. Find a fishmonger with a reputation for high quality—usually the one where the best seafood restaurants source their seafood. Look for shrimp that is translucent and shiny. They should have a subtle fresh smell, like the sea, nothing harsh or strong. Ask the fishmonger when they were caught and when they arrived. Look for the shrimp that were caught nearest the date you are making aguachile.

SERVES 4

METHOD

MAKE THE SALSA DE SERRANO: In a blender on medium-low speed, puree the tomatillos, chiles serranos, garlic, cilantro, salt, and ½ cup ice water (this keeps it very green) until smooth. Do not be tempted to blend above medium speed or your salsa will get airy and will have the texture of a smoothie. Taste and season with more salt if desired.

ASSEMBLE THE AGUACHILE: In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp with the lime zest and lime juice. Season with salt and arrange on a platter in an even layer.

Arrange the cucumber around the edges, then arrange the onion inside the cucumber ring. Arrange the avocado in the center and season with pepper. Serve with tostadas, totopos, saltines, and the salsa de serrano.

Tostadas de Maíz (Crispy corn flatbread)

Frying tortillas is the best way to revive flavorless or old, stale tortillas. The hot oil makes the tortillas shatteringly crisp and gives them a deep golden color, even when you use tortillas de maíz blanco (white corn), and brings out the sweet and toasty nuttiness in the corn. I use fried tostadas whenever I am layering any wet fillings on top of them like frijoles refritos or a guiso (braised meat or vegetable). The fried tostadas will stay crispy and won’t fall apart on you as quickly as baked tostada will.

MAKES 6 FRIED TOSTADAS

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 6 x 6-inch corn tortillas Morton kosher salt

In a small skillet set over high heat, heat the oil until it bubbles immediately when the edge of a tortilla touches the surface. Working with one tortilla at a time, fry the tortilla, turning once, until it’s crispy, puffed in places, and deep golden brown, for about 1 minute per side.

Transfer the tostada to a sheet pan lined with paper towels to drain and season with salt while hot. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Serve warm.

I normally eat baked tostadas when I’m eating soup or stew— like how you’d eat crackers with soup. They provide a nice crunchy texture, and the toasty parts give you a slightly bitter and nutty counterpoint to your soup. To “bake” them, I usually use a large comal set on low heat on the stove.

That’s the way it is done here in México. But it takes a while, and you have to keep flipping and moving them from a cooler area to a warmer area to make sure they toast evenly. But most people don’t have a large comal at home or even a large griddle, so here’s a truly baked version that calls on the oven to do the work. This method is much faster and easier.

MAKES 6 BAKED TOSTADAS

• 6 x 6-inch corn tortillas
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil Morton kosher salt

Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450°F.

Brush both sides of the tortillas with the oil. Season with salt and arrange on a sheet pan. Bake the tortillas until they’re golden brown in spots and crisp, for about 10 minutes. Let cool before serving.

Rick Martínez is the host of the video series “Mi Cocina” and “Sweet Heat,” both on the Food52 YouTube channel and “Pruébalo” on the Babish Culinary Universe channel. He cohosts the Borderline Salty podcast with Carla Lalli Music, is a regular contributor the New York Times, and teaches live, weekly cooking classes for the Food Network Kitchen. He currently resides in Mazatlán with his dog, Choco, where he cooks, eats, and enjoys the Mexican Pacific coast.