Shrimp & Scallop Ceviche
Before summer was over, I had to bring you this ceviche recipe. If you’re not familiar with ceviche, it’s essentially raw fish or other forms of seafood “cooked” in citrus juice. A super simple method of cooking seafood that is perfect for warmer temperatures; minimal prep with no stove or oven necessary. The only hard part is waiting. While it is fairly easy to make, ceviche does take a couple of hours until it’s ready to be consumed. So, if you are preparing ceviche for a party, I suggest giving yourself a three hour window before serving. This way it has time to fully cook, marinate and get happy.
Over the years, I’ve had many different ceviches from restaurants, but I’ve always been left longing for something more. Some were too tangy and bitter, others too sweet, and rest were just underwhelming and lacking flavor. There was only one time, years ago, when I had the most perfect ceviche. Since then, I’ve been searching for something comparable to that experience. I’m sure you’re asking me, well why don’t you go back to that place where you had it. Unfortunately, because that was a once in a lifetime experience. That was at an event I worked while interning for a local culinary non-profit. So, it’s only a dream that won’t happen again. The main thing I remember was that it was white ceviche with bright citrus notes balanced with a creamy white sauce of some kind and pops of cilantro and celery on the end note.
Oh, that glorious white ceviche. How I longed for you. You haunted my dreams. That is, until now. I can’t go as far as to say it matched the chef’s version, but this came out so good, I don’t even miss that one anymore. The shrimp and scallops remained perfectly tender without ever overcooking even after two days in the refrigerator. I believe it has everything to do with the added coconut cream. The cream perfectly balanced out the acidity to reduce the continued cooking leaving only behind the necessary citrus notes of the lime, lemon and orange juices. Also, the addition of the coconut cream takes away the sometimes “fishy” taste that comes along with seafood, so you can
Side Note: Because this is seafood, you want to consume this within 2-3 days after making it. For your safety, please don’t exceed this time frame. 1) It won’t taste good at all, and 2) there’s a potential you could get sick. So, eat it while it’s fresh.
Before getting into this recipe, I would like to add that the reason I chose shrimp and scallops instead of fish is because they are more accessible to obtain at a regular grocery store than hunting down a good sturdy white fish that won’t break down too much from the citrus. Also, I really enjoy the final texture of shrimp and scallops. I’m all about a balanced mouthfeel and this does it for me. Once you try this, you’ll understand.
So, without further ado, let’s do this!
Total “cooking” time: 2.5 hours
Ingredients:
1 lb cleaned and deveined raw jumbo shrimp
1/2 lb bay scallops
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 oranges or 1/3 cup orange juice
1/2 cup coconut cream
1 shallot or 3/4 cup shallot sliced paper thin
1 Serrano pepper thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 roma tomato or 1 cup diced tomato
1 stalk or 1/3 cup diced celery
1 tsp kosher salt
Instructions:
Start by dicing your shrimp and scallops into smaller, bitesized pieces. Cut the bay scallops in half and the jumbo shrimp into thirds.
Combine the seafood with the lemon, lime, orange juices along with the serrano pepper, garlic and shallots. Let this marinate covered in the fridge for 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes until the shrimp and scallops are completely opaque.
After this time, strain the brine, but reserve 1/4 cup. To the bowl, add the reserved brine, coconut cream, tomatoes, cilantro, celery and kosher salt. Cover again and return the bowl to the fridge to marinate for an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Before serving, adjust seasoning to taste.
Note: You want to adjust the salt at the very end to avoid over seasoning this delicate dish as it marinates. If you add too much salt during the
“cooking” process, there’s no way to fix that at the end. So be light handed with the salt until this step.Serve with tortilla chips or on a tostada topped with avocado and a dash of hot sauce. Either way it’s delicious.
