Caldo de Piedra
Stone Broth
An Oaxacan specialty where fish and shrimp cook almost instantly as a red-hot volcanic stone is lowered into the bowl, boiling the broth violently — the recipe is emphatic about using only verified food-safe stones, never porous or wet river rocks that can fracture explosively.
Caldo de Piedra
✦ Antes de Empezar
Before you cook
Is there a safer way to make this without heating stones?
Yes — for a stovetop version, combine all the ingredients except the seafood in a saucepan and boil for 5 minutes, then add the shrimp and fish and simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes. This keeps the same flavor profile without the risk of handling red-hot stones.
Ingredientes· 9View
The Seafood
- 1/2 lbRed Snapper Fillet (Huachinango)cut into large chunks, raw
- 6Large Shrimppeeled, de-veined, raw
The Aromatics
- 2 mediumRoma Tomatoesdiced
- 1/2Red Onionfinely sliced
- 2 serranos + 1/4 cup cilantroSerrano Chiles & Fresh Cilantro
- 4 leavesFresh Epazote Leaves
The Soup Liquid
- 3-4 cupsPurified Water
- 1 tspCoarse Sea Salt
Cooking Agent
- 2 clean stonesVolcanic River Stonesheated until glowing red-hot
Instrucciones
5 pasosElige piedras seguras
Select safe stones
Select stones safely — use only stones sold or verified for cooking and direct-fire use. Never use wet, layered, porous, or unknown river stones; trapped moisture can cause explosive fracture.
Calienta las piedras
Heat the stones
Scrub and dry the stones completely. Heat them in a wood fire or outdoor grill for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until thoroughly hot. Wear eye protection and use long metal tongs.
Prepara los tazones
Assemble the bowls
Divide the fish, shrimp, tomato, onion, garlic, serrano, epazote, water, and salt among four thick heatproof stone bowls, or place everything in one heavy heatproof vessel.
Añade las piedras
Add the hot stones
Carefully lower one red-hot stone into each bowl. The liquid should boil violently. Allow 3 to 5 minutes, until the shrimp are pink and the fish is opaque.
Sirve
Serve
Remove the stones with tongs before serving. Adjust the salt and add lime.