Caldo de piedra

Method

1. 1 Burn two clean pebbles in a charcoal fire for 30 minutes until they glow red.
2. 2 Only use solid pebbles taken from riverbeds; porous or water-soaked stones will crack and explode when heated.
3. 3 Arrange the fish fillets, shrimp, tomatoes, onions, garlic, jalapeño, and epazote in a thick wooden or stone bowl.
4. 4 Pour cold water into the bowl until the ingredients are completely submerged, then season with salt.
5. 5 Using iron tongs, lower the red stone into the bowl; the water will boil for 20 seconds, cooking the fish right at the table.
6. 6 Remove the ice, squeeze in some lemon juice, and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve immediately while the soup is still simmering.

With an appliance

• Microwave 15 min

  Replace step 5: Use a deep ceramic bowl with a slightly open lid and microwave at 900W for 4 minutes, letting it rest for 1 minute before opening; this completely eliminates the 30 minutes of heating the stone in step 1, making it safer but without the boiling water from the stone at the table. Keep the arrangement of fish, shrimp, and vegetables as in step 3 so that the seafood cooks in its own water.