Claudette Zepeda's Stunning Recipes for Aguachiles, Birria, and More
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Southern California and Mexico flavors shine in these dishes from the "Top Chef" competitor and chef of Vaga.
Chef Claudette Zepeda is the San Diego-based chef behind Chispa Hospitality, which includes restaurants in California, Mexico, and Australia. The chef's vibrant dishes reflect her ingredient experimentation and influences from growing up in Tijuana, traveling throughout Mexico and around the world, and working extensively in California restaurants.
The chef, acclaimed for her time as chef de cuisine at Bracero and chef and partner at El Jardín, helms the dining concepts at Alila Marea Beach in Encinitas, California, including cliffside restaurant Vaga, which won over our travel editor. Zepeda has contributed to F&W cooking guides for Mexican specialties like aguachiles and birria, with stunning dishes you'll see among her recipes here.
"Mexico is a complex melting pot of people, where the story stops being about why we're so different and starts being about why we're so similar," Zepeda says. "Chinese laborers built the city of Tijuana; Japanese immigrants established the entire seafood industry in Ensenada. These are the stories that inspire me."
Here are some of our favorite recipes the celebrated chef has shared with Food & Wine, from her famous birria to a cocktail made with the recipe's leftover broth.
Chilaquiles Rojos with Fried Eggs and Cotija
Zepeda creates rich, slow-cooked flavor quickly by charring tomato and onion before adding them to a red chile sauce. Thick-cut fresh tortilla chips soak up the sauce and runny egg yolks without getting soggy.
Coconut-and-Scallop Aguachile Verde
Finger limes release tiny citrus-filled spheres that pop like tobiko and fresh young coconut has tender meat for this bright aguachile you can serve with chips or tostadas in 35 minutes.
Baja-Style Caesar Salad
Zepeda's fresh take on the crowd favorite starter or side is ready in 15 minutes. Both egg yolks and Dijon mustard help the creamy dressing emulsify easily so it coats each leaf of crunchy romaine.
Strawberry Aguachile
Zepeda cooks strawberries in a double boiler to gently release their sweetness, creating a juice with vibrant color and flavor. Mixing with scallions, cucumber, anise-scented hoja santa, and citrus juices creates the perfect, punchy base for a strawberry and radish aguachile.
Birria Tacos
Zepeda creates the best balance by combining chuck roast's tender texture and short ribs' succulence. The beef's slow-cooked flavor comes from her adobo sauce. Top this meaty filling with onion, cilantro, and a squirt of lime.
Beet Aguachile
For this gorgeous beet aguachile (which the chef nicknames "Vampiro" aguachile, for its deep purple-red color and for its inclusion of black garlic), Zepeda makes a bright, spicy broth out of beet juice. The unique, funky flavor from the black garlic and sweetness from the orange juice help balance the acidity of the lime juice.
Fideos Secos Tacos
These griddled tacos are filled with fideos secos, a Mexican dish of thin spaghetti cooked in a chile-based tomato sauce until the pasta has absorbed the flavor and rich red color of the sauce.
Birria Bao
Zepeda's recipe for birria, the chile-rich savory shredded beef, is a delicious match for chewy and slightly sweet bao dough. Cilantro blossoms make a wonderful garnish for the bao.
Birria Maria
Zepeda mixes some of the flavorful broth left over from making her popular Birria with citrus juices, tequila, and beer for a cocktail that is both delicious and thirst-quenching. Think of it as a new version of a Michelada.
Cinnamon-Sugar Churros with Cajeta
Cajeta is a Mexican caramel sauce that makes these churros all the more irresistible. Zepeda and the Food & Wine Test Kitchen include tips for making the batter ahead, keeping it stiff to hold the ridged shape, and piping like a pro.
Rib Eye Aguachile with Ponzu Sauce
Zepeda uses a reverse-sear technique for this steak, which is served with a salty, umami ponzu sauce. She tops the steak with a fresh tomatillo, onion, cucumber, and cilantro salad that balances the richness of the meat.
Chorizo-and-Kimchi Dogs
This recipe is an homage to the Sonoran hot dog. Easy hacks like crumbled chorizo make the San Diego restaurant favorite easy to pull off for backyard entertaining.
Carrot Aguachile with Trout Roe
Zepeda uses fresh carrot juice as the base for this aguachile, which is complemented by fresh ginger, spicy habanero, and scallions to amp up the flavor of the juice. Thin strips of carrot and cucumber are mixed and topped with salty smoked roe, thinly sliced red onion, and roasted cashews for a dish with deep layers of flavor and complex textures.
Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Warm Plum Vinaigrette
Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely
Simply seasoned slices of juicy pork tenderloin are served with a warm, sweet, and smoky vinaigrette made with dried fruit, bacon, and cider vinegar. Zepeda adds a personal flair to the dish with a crunchy and spicy crumble topping of ancho and guajillo chiles that are ground with tortilla chips to create what she calls "masa crisp," while fennel salad adds a crisp, cooling counterpoint.
Adobo
Zepeda toasts dried chiles before boiling them to revive their flavor and extract even more of it into the final adobo. When boiling the chiles, she piles the onion pieces on top to keep the chiles submerged.
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