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Dried Prawn Broth

Name: Dried Prawn Broth
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 200 g Dried prawns; 3 Dried mulato chillies; 2 Dried ancho chillies; 2 Dried morita chillies; 4 Beef tomatoes, charred; 1 White onion; 4 cloves Garlic cloves; 2 tbsp Vegetable oil; 4 sprigs Fresh epazote; 0.5 bunch Fresh coriander to serve; 4 Limes; 1 tsp Salt to taste

65 min (20 prep + 45 cook) Medium 8 servings Nacional

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 27 Mar 2026 · Updated: 30 Mar 2026

Lenten dried prawn broth with mulato chilli, ancho chilli and tomato, traditional at Easter.

About this recipe

Dried prawn broth is one of the most representative dishes of Mexican Lenten cuisine: an intensely seasoned broth made with dried prawns that provide a concentrated, deep marine flavour, combined with mulato chilli, ancho chilli and tomato. It is the essential base stock for nopal cactus in broth, dried prawn fritters and Lenten soups that form part of the gastronomic tradition of Holy Week throughout Mexico.

History & Origin

Dried prawn is one of the oldest and most versatile ingredients in Mexican coastal cuisine, with evidence of its use dating back to the pre-Hispanic cultures that inhabited the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico coasts. The process of sun-drying prawns was the ancestral preservation technique that allowed seafood to be transported from the coast to the interior of the country, where it became a trading commodity and festive ingredient. With Catholic evangelisation and the imposition of meat abstinence during Lent (the forty days before Holy Week), dried prawn acquired a starring role in popular Mexican cuisine: being considered "vigilia" (a non-meat food), it became the primary protein for millions of Mexicans during that period. Lenten recipes with dried prawns - prawn fritters, nopal cactus in caldillo, romeritos - are some of the most complex and sophisticated preparations in Mexican regional gastronomy, inherited from centuries of culinary creativity born of religious restriction. Dried prawn broth is the mother stock for many of these preparations: its concentrated, marine flavour, enriched with pasilla, mulato and ancho chillies, creates a culinary depth comparable to a good meat stock.

Estimated cost

£12.00

Total cost

£1.50

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

185

Calories

18g

Protein

18g

Carbohydrates

Fat

Fibre

720mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Lightly toast the dried prawns in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until aromatic. Rehydrate them in 1 litre of hot water for 15 minutes. Reserve the soaking water (this is the base stock).
💡 The prawn soaking water is liquid gold for this broth; do not discard it.
2
Clean the mulato, ancho and morita chillies: remove the stems, seeds and veins. Briefly toast them on a dry griddle for 30 seconds per side until they change colour and smell of toasted chilli. Rehydrate in hot water for 15 minutes.
💡 Do not over-toast the chillies or they will become bitter; they should be aromatic, not burnt.
3
Char the tomatoes, onion and garlic directly on the griddle or over a flame until they have black spots. Blend the charred tomatoes with the onion, garlic, rehydrated chillies and soaked prawns with some of the soaking water.
4
Fry the blended mixture in a large pot with a little oil over high heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly. The mixture should thicken and change colour until it is dark and very aromatic.
💡 This step of 'killing the sauce' in oil is essential for developing the broth's flavour.
5
Add the remaining prawn soaking water plus 1.5 litres of water. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and cook for 25 minutes. Season with salt and taste: the broth should have an intense marine flavour with smoky notes from the chillies.
6
Serve hot with lime wedges, chopped coriander and maize tortillas. This broth is the base for adding nopal cactus, fresh prawns, vegetables or as a stock for Lenten prawn fritters.
💡 The broth improves overnight; you can prepare it in advance and refrigerate for up to 3 days.