SeafoodMediumFree

Seafood Molcajete (Hot Stone Mortar Seafood)

Name: Seafood Molcajete (Hot Stone Mortar Seafood)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 200 g Medium prawns; 2 Limes; 4 Ancho chillies; 4 Árbol chillies; 150 g Mussels; 150 g Cooked octopus; 1 Avocado; 3 Tomatoes

45 min (25 prep + 20 cook) Medium 2 servings Pacífico

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 24 Mar 2026 · Updated: 30 Mar 2026

Fresh seafood in chilli sauce served bubbling in a volcanic stone molcajete.

About this recipe

Fresh seafood - prawns, octopus, mussels and scallops - cooked in ancho and árbol chilli sauce, served bubbling in a volcanic stone mortar. Spectacular restaurant dish.

History & Origin

The seafood molcajete is one of the most spectacular dishes of Mexican restaurant cooking, particularly popular in Pacific coastal states like Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco, Guerrero and Oaxaca, as well as in Mexico City where luxury seafood restaurants have made it a presentation classic. The molcajete (from Nahuatl "mollicaxtli") is the volcanic stone mortar used for millennia in Mesoamerican cooking to grind ingredients. Its use as a hot serving vessel is a 20th-century innovation: the molcajete is heated to maximum temperature in the oven or over direct flame, and when filled with boiling sauce and seafood, it continues bubbling at the table for several minutes, creating an irresistible culinary and aromatic spectacle. The seafood combination varies by region and availability but generally includes fresh prawns, cooked octopus, mussels, scallops or clams, and in premium versions, lobster or crab. The sauce is fundamental: ancho chilli for body and colour, árbol chilli for heat, roasted tomatoes and garlic, all ground in the same molcajete to use its irregular texture which gives the sauce a rustic consistency impossible to achieve in a blender. Served with hot corn tortillas, sliced avocado, limes and tortilla crisps to "mop up" the sauce.

Estimated cost

£16.00

Total cost

£8.00

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

380

Calories

45g

Protein

22g

Carbohydrates

12g

Fat

Fibre

980mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Heat the volcanic stone molcajete in the oven at 250°C for at least 30 minutes, or on the hob over high heat for 15-20 minutes. It must be extremely hot.
💡 NEVER place a cold volcanic stone molcajete directly over high heat without gradual warming.
2
Roast 3 tomatoes, 4 ancho chillies (deseeded and soaked 20 min), 4 árbol chillies, 4 garlic cloves and half an onion on a griddle. Blend with salt to a semi-rough sauce (not completely smooth).
💡 The rustic texture of the sauce is part of the appeal.
3
In a wide pan with very hot oil, sauté 200g peeled medium prawns, 150g cooked octopus pieces and 150g mussels for 3-4 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Remove before overcooking.
💡 The seafood finishes cooking inside the hot molcajete.
4
Fry the sauce in the pan with 1 tablespoon oil for 5 minutes over high heat until it deepens in colour and aroma. Add 200ml seafood stock or water and adjust seasoning.
5
Remove the molcajete from the oven with thick oven gloves. Pour the boiling sauce in. Add the sautéed seafood. Serve immediately at the table (on a wooden or cork board) while bubbling. Accompany with hot tortillas, avocado and limes.
💡 Warn diners that the molcajete is extremely hot.