Coastal Mexican Cuisine: Seafood Tacos and Ceviches

Mexico's 9,330 Kilometres of Coastline

Most Britons associate Mexican food with beef, pork and chicken - tacos, burritos, enchiladas filled with land-based proteins. But Mexico has over 9,330 kilometres of coastline along both the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico, and its coastal cuisine is among the most exciting and varied seafood traditions in the world. From the cold Pacific waters of Baja California, where fish tacos were born, to the tropical Gulf coast of Veracruz, where Spanish and African influences created a unique culinary tradition, Mexico's relationship with seafood is deep, ancient and extraordinarily delicious.

The good news for British cooks is that coastal Mexican cuisine translates remarkably well to British ingredients. Our own excellent seafood - cod, haddock, sea bass, mackerel, shrimp, mussels - works beautifully with Mexican preparations. The acidity of lime, the heat of chile, the freshness of cilantro and the crunch of cabbage that define Mexican seafood dishes complement British fish perfectly.

Baja-Style Fish Tacos: The Original and Best

Fish tacos originated in Ensenada, Baja California, where fishermen would batter and fry their catch and serve it in corn tortillas with shredded cabbage and a creamy sauce. The combination is simple and perfect: crispy, hot fish against cool, crunchy cabbage, tied together with a tangy, slightly spicy cream sauce.

Ingredients (Serves 4, about 12 tacos)

• 500g firm white fish (cod, haddock or pollock - all excellent and sustainable from British fishmongers)
• Batter: 150g all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp smoked paprika, 200ml cold sparkling water (or cold lager)
• 12 small corn tortillas
• ¼ white cabbage, very finely shredded
• Crema: 100ml sour cream, 1 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 chipotle in adobo (minced), juice of 1 lime, salt
• Vegetable oil for frying
• Lime wedges, fresh cilantro, hot sauce to serve

Method

1. Make the crema: Mix sour cream, mayo, chipotle, lime juice and salt. Refrigerate.
2. Make the batter: Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, cumin and paprika. Add sparkling water and whisk until smooth - a few lumps are fine. The batter should be the consistency of heavy cream.
3. Prepare the fish: Cut into strips about 2cm wide and 8cm long. Pat very dry with kitchen paper. Season with salt.
4. Fry: Heat 5cm of oil in a deep pan to 190°C. Dip fish strips in batter, letting excess drip off. Fry in batches for 3-4 minutes until golden and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper.
5. Assemble: Warm tortillas in a dry pan. Place a piece of fried fish in each, top with shredded cabbage, a drizzle of crema, fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

These tacos are best eaten immediately, standing up, slightly hunched over to catch the drips - exactly as they are eaten on the beaches of Ensenada.

Ceviche: Raw Fish, Cooked by Citrus

Ceviche - fresh raw fish "cooked" in citrus juice - is one of the great dishes of coastal Mexico. The acid in the lime juice denatures the proteins in the fish, turning it opaque and firm while preserving its fresh, clean flavour. The result is light, bright, intensely refreshing and absolutely perfect as a appetizer or a light summer meal.

Classic Mexican Ceviche (Serves 4 as a appetizer)

• 400g very fresh sea bass, sea bream or halibut, cut into 1cm cubes (freshness is paramount - buy from a fishmonger you trust, tell them it is for ceviche)
• Juice of 6-8 limes (you need enough to cover the fish)
• 1 red onion, very finely diced
• 2 tomatoes, deseeded and diced
• 1 jalapeño or serrano chile, finely chopped
• Large handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 avocado, diced
• Salt
• Tostadas or tortilla chips to serve

Method

1. Place the cubed fish in a non-reactive bowl (glass or ceramic, not metal). Pour over the lime juice - the fish should be fully submerged. Cover and refrigerate for 25-35 minutes. The fish is ready when it is opaque throughout but still slightly translucent in the very centre.
2. Drain most of the lime juice (reserve 2-3 tbsp). Gently fold in the red onion, tomatoes, chile and cilantro. Season with salt.
3. Add the reserved lime juice. Gently fold in the avocado (add it last so it does not break apart).
4. Serve immediately in individual bowls or glasses, with tostadas for scooping.

Aguachile: Ceviche's Fiercer Cousin

If ceviche is a gentle kiss, aguachile is a slap. This Sinaloan specialty submerges raw seafood (traditionally shrimp) in an aggressively spicy, lime-heavy green sauce that cures the exterior while leaving the interior almost raw. It is bracing, exhilarating and not for the faint-hearted.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 300g raw king shrimp, peeled, deveined and butterflied
• Juice of 8 limes
• 2-3 serrano chiles (or 1 habanero for extreme heat)
• Large bunch of cilantro
• 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
• ½ red onion, very thinly sliced
• Salt

Method

1. Blend the lime juice, chiles, most of the cilantro and a generous pinch of salt until completely smooth. The liquid should be vivid green and intensely spicy.
2. Arrange the butterflied shrimp in a single layer on a cold plate. Pour the green sauce over them. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes only - unlike ceviche, aguachile uses a very short cure.
3. Garnish with thinly sliced cucumber, red onion and the remaining cilantro.

Aguachile is served ice-cold and eaten immediately. The shrimp should be barely cured - translucent and silky, with the fiery green sauce providing all the flavour. It is one of the most exciting things you can eat, and making it with excellent British shrimp produces outstanding results.

Tacos de Camarón (Shrimp Tacos)

While fish tacos get all the press, shrimp tacos are equally magnificent and considerably faster to make - shrimp cook in 3-4 minutes, making these a genuine weeknight dinner option.

1. Toss 400g raw king shrimp with 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp chili powder, salt and a squeeze of lime.
2. Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Cook the shrimp for 2 minutes per side until pink and slightly charred.
3. Serve in warm corn tortillas with shredded cabbage, sliced avocado, chipotle mayo and a squeeze of lime.

Pescado a la Veracruzana (Veracruz-Style Fish)

From Mexico's Gulf coast comes this magnificent whole fish in a sauce of tomatoes, olives, capers, chiles and herbs - a dish that shows the Spanish influence on Mexican coastal cooking at its finest.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 4 firm white fish fillets (sea bass is ideal, or cod or haddock)
• 4 tomatoes, diced (or 1 can chopped tomatoes)
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 50g green olives, halved
• 2 tbsp capers
• 2 pickled jalapeños, sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté onion for 5 minutes, add garlic for 1 minute.
2. Add tomatoes, olives, capers, jalapeños, bay leaves and oregano. Simmer for 15 minutes until thick and saucy.
3. Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper. Nestle into the sauce. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes until the fish is just cooked through.
4. Serve with Mexican rice and warm tortillas.

This is one of the most elegant dishes in Mexican cooking - the kind of thing you serve at a dinner party to impress people who think Mexican food is only tacos.

Sourcing Seafood in Britain for Mexican Cooking

Britain has outstanding seafood, and Mexican preparations suit it brilliantly:

• For fish tacos: Cod, haddock and pollock are all excellent - sustainable, affordable and widely available at Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons. Ask for thick fillets.
• For ceviche: Sea bass, sea bream and halibut are ideal. Buy from a fishmonger and tell them it is for raw preparation - they will select the freshest fish.
• For shrimp: Raw king shrimp from Waitrose or Sainsbury's are consistently excellent. Avoid pre-cooked shrimp for tacos - they become rubbery when reheated.
• For Veracruzana: Sea bass is perfect, but haddock and cod work very well too.
• Sustainable choices: Look for MSC-certified fish. British mackerel, a hugely underrated fish, makes spectacular tacos when grilled with cumin and lime.

For more Mexican seafood recipes, explore our recipe collection. Find chipotle paste, Mexican crema and other essential ingredients at Mexican shops across the UK. And to taste coastal Mexican dishes prepared by experts, discover Mexican restaurants throughout Britain.