Chef Feature: Carlos Camacho + Aguachile Negro de Camarones
CHEF CARLOS CAMACHO
Regional Executive Chef - Toro Toro, El Centro & La Sandia in Washington, DC
Follow Chef Camacho on Instagram
RSH: How long have you been with Richard Sandoval Hospitality?
CC: 2 years and 3 months
RSH: When did you know you wanted to be a chef?
CC: When I was 5 years old, my mother put me in the kitchen using a bench to help her make molcajete sauce!
RSH: How do you get your inspiration?
CC: My daily inspiration is my children and my mother. My day-to-day mental inspiration are my guests at the restaurants - creating and offering part of my creations and seeing their faces of enjoyment when tasting my dishes is one of the strongest inspirations that exists.
RSH: Funniest kitchen incident?
CC: Maybe not funny but very strange… One time I started to lose my voice because I was yelling too much in the kitchen (before we had screens we had to call orders to each other).
RSH: Best cooking tip for a beginner chef just getting into the business?
CC: Test what your kitchen produces .... observe, study and analyze a system or technique before making a decision ... if something is not broken don’t fix it!
RSH: Astrological Sign?
CC: Scorpio
RSH: Hometown?
CC: Cuernavaca Morelos , Mexico
RSH: Guilty Pleasure?
CC: My mom’s homemade food
RSH: Drink of Choice?
CC: Black label
RSH: One-word description of yourself?
CC: Persistent
RSH: Favorite Richard Sandoval restaurant?
CC: El Centro
RSH: Favorite 90’s jam?
CC: Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice
RSH: Last Meal?
CC: My mom’s homemade mole with chicken
RSH: Do you have a favorite food to cook with?
CC: Dried chilies
RSH: Favorite Sports team to cheer for?
CC: Mexican soccer team
RSH: Favorite kitchen gadget?
CC: The grill
RSH: What recipe are you sharing with us today? Why do you love this recipe?
CC: Aguachile Negro de Camarones - I love the flavor profile of dried chiles!
Aguachile Negro de Camarones
YIELD: Serves 4 to 6 (Appetizer)
INGREDIENTS
For Toasting the Chiles:
1 guajillo chile
1 cascabel dried chile
1 dried ancho chile
For the Leche de Tigre:
2 cups fresh lime juice
5 oz. white fish such as fluke, seabass, or sole
1 cup fish stock
2 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp finely grated fresh peeled ginger
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1⁄2 large yellow onion, sliced (1 cup)
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp Maggi Seasoning
2 tsp finely chopped cilantro stems
To Assemble:
1 pound sashimi-grade head-on shrimp or 12 medium shrimp, shells and heads removed
2 tbsp diced cucumber
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
3-4 radishes, thinly sliced
Diced avocado, for serving
Chopped cilantro, for serving
Sliced limes, for serving
Tortilla Chips, for serving
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Split shrimp in half lengthwise and discard any veins. Transfer to a plate, sprinkle all over with salt, cover with plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.
Toast the dried chilies in the oven 3-5 minutes, then remove & let cool. Once cool, remove the seeds and set aside.
Make the Leche de Tigre: Blend lime juice, fish, fish stock, celery, ginger, garlic, onion, salt and Maggi seasoning in a blender until smooth. Add coriander sprigs and toasted chiles and blend until finely chopped. Pass through a fine sieve and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.
Assemble the dish: Mix the shrimp, cucumber, red onion, radishes together in a mixing bowl.
To plate, spread the Leche de Tigre sauce in a shallow bowl and top with shrimp mixture. Garnish with avocado, cilantro and salt & pepper to taste. Serve with chips & fresh limes.