Jonathan Zaragoza is a Chicago-based chef who got his start in professional kitchens working at the Michelin-starred Sepia and Sixteen, before becoming the chef of Masa Azul at 22. Jonathan’s path has taken him throughout Mexico, deep into its rich culinary heritage, to bring its traditions with him to London, Dubai, Paris, and the U.S.

Jonathan Zaragoza

This mixed seafood cocktail is a lateral jump from the classic dish of <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/coctel-de-camaron-mexican-style-shrimp-cocktail">cóctel de camarón</a>. Instead of perfectly poached shrimp in a tangy tomato-based sauce, this has perfectly poached octopus and shrimp, along with steamed clams, citrus-cured snapper, and raw oysters, and everything’s dressed with a cocktail sauce that takes its inspiration from an amazing mole amarillo I had while visiting the state of Oaxaca.The mole has a ton of bitter-sweet complexity from charred tomatoes, tomatillos, bell peppers, and habanero–charring is a foundational Mexican culinary technique–as well as earthy notes from dried spices and fruity notes from raisins and guajillo chiles. As a final flourish, I use an oil infused with hoja santa, a fragrant herb indigenous to Central and North America that has an inimitable, almost indescribable flavor and aroma, like a cross between licorice, mint, tarragon, and anise.This dish is a project, and part of that is the variety of the seafood. Whenever you see “campechano” used to describe a menu item, that just means that it contains two or more proteins; the most well-known instance of this is the taco campechano, which combines suadero and longaniza. Here, it refers to the five kinds of seafood in this dish, which is my way of celebrating the quality and variety of seafood that’s available in Oaxaca. But it also means you can add whatever you like: pick whatever fish or shellfish are freshest or in season. If that’s five different kinds, amazing; if it’s just one or two, you’re still making a fantastic seafood cocktail. Just make sure the total adds up to about 1.1 kilograms (2 1/2 pounds) of protein.To make it easier on yourself, I strongly recommend making this recipe over the course of a couple of days. Make the cóctel base, infuse the hoja santa oil, and cook the shrimp and octopus in advance—all of them keep well in the fridge. Then, the day you want to serve the cóctel, prep your more perishable seafood: shuck your oysters, steam the clams, and cure your raw fish. (You can also just buy prepared octopus and/or shrimp and get someone else to shuck your oysters, too.)

Cóctel Amarillo Campechano (Mexican-Style Mixed Seafood Cocktail)