Campechana Recipe

Make shrimp broth

Rinse shrimp shells/heads. In a medium saucepan, combine 1200 ml water, 200 g shrimp shells and heads, 1/2 quartered white onion, 1 garlic clove (lightly crushed), 1 bay leaf, 6 peppercorns and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat and simmer gently 15 minutes to extract flavor. Do not boil vigorously to keep broth clear.

Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl, pressing shells to extract liquid. Discard solids and taste broth; adjust seasoning with up to 1/2 tsp more salt if needed. Keep broth hot but off high heat.

Cook shrimp in broth

Bring strained broth back to a gentle simmer. Add the 12 raw shrimp and poach 2–3 minutes, until shrimp are opaque and curled. Remove shrimp to an ice bath briefly to stop cooking, then peel if still unpeeled (if already peeled, just cool). Reserve poached shrimp chilled.

Prepare octopus and oysters

If octopus is not yet tender, ensure it is precooked: simmer separately until tender (about 45–60 minutes for raw) and then cool and chop into bite-sized pieces. Keep oysters chilled and on ice until assembling. When assembling Campechana the octopus will be used cold or at room temperature.

Make pico de gallo: dice the 2 roma tomatoes and combine in a bowl with 1/4 cup finely chopped white onion, 1/2 seeded finely chopped jalapeño, 2 tbsp chopped cilantro, 2 tbsp lime juice and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir gently, taste and adjust lime and salt. Let sit 10–15 minutes for flavors to marry.

Prepare cucumber and avocado: seed and dice enough cucumber to yield about 1 cup. Dice 1 ripe avocado and toss lightly with a squeeze of lime (from the extra wedges) and a pinch of salt to prevent browning. Keep chilled until assembly.

Combine proteins: In a mixing bowl, gently combine the chilled poached shrimp (halved if large), 200 g chopped octopus, and 6 shucked oysters (leave oysters whole or chop coarsely, as preferred). Add 1 tsp optional hot sauce if using and gently fold to mix.

Add pico and vegetables: Fold in about half of the pico de gallo (reserve remainder for garnish) and all of the diced cucumber. Taste and adjust seasoning with extra lime juice or a pinch of salt.

Chill briefly: Cover and chill the combined Campechana for 10–15 minutes to let flavors meld. Do not chill too long or oysters may change texture.

Serve: To each serving bowl, place a portion of diced avocado. Spoon the seafood and vegetable mixture over the avocado. Ladle 120–180 ml of the warm (or chilled, if preferred) strained shrimp broth around the seafood so it sits in a flavorful liquid but the avocado remains intact. Garnish with reserved pico de gallo, cilantro leaves and lime wedges. Serve immediately with tortilla chips or saltine crackers.

Storage: Leftovers keep 1 day refrigerated. Do not keep oysters longer; consume same day for best safety and quality.