My buddy, Ed, of Puerto Rican descent, spent his time in the Air Force in Central and South America. Ed's favorite dish: ceviche! He tells endless tales of trying ceviche, which is seafoods 'cooked' in nothing but citrus juice. Ed always said that the ceviche he would eat by the gallon, if he could get it, was that he had in Costa Rica.
Virtually every country with a seacoast has it's own version of ceviche (say-VEE-chay). The citrus acid literally cold cooks the seafoods used, and when paired with various vegetables and certain flavorful elements, becomes an elegant appetizer, a beautiful and healthy snack, or, in Eddie's case, an excuse for overindulgence, especially when paired with a cold beer...
Just be sure the seafoods are very fresh. And, since you are chopping the seafoods up, you need not buy the biggest and most expensive. Let the flavors make the impression - not the size.
You can make a ceviche with almost any seafood - clams, shrimp, any firm-fleshed fish, octopus...
This is a simple, clean, and astoundingly flavorful treat - whether you hog it all to yourself - LIKE SOME PEOPLE I KNOW - or serve it well-chilled and elegantly to guests before they dine.
So here's what you do with that pound of seafood you just brought home from the fishmonger.
Ingredients
- 1lb shrimp (tilapia, clams, octopus, sea bass, etc.)
- 1 small onion, minced
- 1 clove of garlic, large, minced
- 1 jalapeno (or 1/2 a small habanero, if you dare), minced, seeds and veins removed
- 5-6 nice sprigs of fresh cilantro (coriander), leaves removed from the stems and finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- Fresh squeezed lime juice to cover the above - it should take 5-6 large limes, but buy 8 because this is your cooking medium
- A few grinds of black pepper
Directions
- If using shrimp, peel, de-vein, rinse and drain (other seafood to be prepared according to the basic prep for the product)
- Juice the limes, straining out the seeds and pulp
- Chop the seafood into 1/2" pieces
- Mix all ingredients together well, remove to a sealed storage container
- Chill for 3 hours
- SERVING: This is beautiful in a martini glass, half an avocado, a hollowed out fresh, firm tomato, tortilla chips, or a nice lettuce leaf
- [unless Ed is over, then just surrender a spoon and forget about it]
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Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving | %DV |
---|---|
Serving Size 291g | |
Recipe makes 2 servings | |
Calories 263 | |
Calories from Fat 36 | 14% |
Total Fat 4.03g | 5% |
Saturated Fat 0.77g | 3% |
Trans Fat 0.0g | |
Cholesterol 345mg | 115% |
Sodium 629mg | 26% |
Potassium 523mg | 15% |
Total Carbs 7.76g | 2% |
Dietary Fiber 0.9g | 3% |
Sugars 1.96g | 1% |
Protein 46.72g | 75% |