by Santiago Lastra from Mexican Soul: a New Style of Cooking
The sliced fish, clams or scallop usually used to make aguachile is replaced here with cooked butternut squash. It has an al dente texture and sweet finish and is still refreshing, sour and spicy like a classic aguachile.
SERVES 4
300 g (10½ oz) butternut squash, sliced into 3 cm (1¼ inch) pieces
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
70 ml (2½ fl oz/5 tablespoons) lime juice (from about 2 limes)
100 ml (3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup) orange juice (from about 1 orange)
vegetable oil, for drizzling
sea salt flakes
For the aguachile dressing
300 g (10½ oz) butternut squash, peeled diced in 2 cm (¾ inch) cubes
80 g (2¾ oz/⅓ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
80 ml (2¾ fl oz/⅓ cup) cider vinegar
2 dried bird’s eye chillies
40 g (1½ oz/2 tablespoons) honey
50 ml (1¾ fl oz/3½ tablespoons) vegetable oil
To serve
20 g (¾ oz) red onion, thinly sliced
20 g (¾ oz) butternut squash, peeled and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
2 teaspoons olive oil
Poppadoms or Potato Masa Tortillas cooked as tostadas
Preheat the oven to 220°C fan (475°F).
Put the butternut squash onto a baking sheet, drizzle with oil and season with salt, then roast in the oven for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, to make the aguachile dressing, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan, cover with water and boil for 5 minutes.
Strain the mixture, then transfer the solids and 80 ml (2¾ fl oz/5 tablespoons) of the cooking liquid to a food processor. Blend until smooth, then pass through a sieve (strainer) and store in the refrigerator.
Remove the squash from the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 180°C fan (425°F), place the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 minutes until golden.
Place the diced squash on a serving plate or plates, dress with the aguachile dressing, lime juice and orange juice and finish with the sliced onion, squash, pumpkin seeds, thyme and olive oil. Serve at room temperature with poppadoms or tortillas.
Reprinted with permission from Mexican Soul: a New Style of Cooking by Santiago Lastra (Quadrille, August 2026)
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