Ceviche (also written seviche or cebiche and pronounced "seh-BEE-chay") is a dish made of seafood "cooked" in acidic juices of lemons limes (or other acidic juices) and served with bread or crackers. This simple dish is an amazing way to start a meal for any occasion.
Seafood Choice
There are a lot of options of which type of seafood to use in this recipe. This recipe calls for a mix of shrimp, scallops, mussels, and littleneck clams, but you can also use other shellfish: squid, oysters, and conch all work really well.
You may even include fish fillets as well. The classic recipe calls for fresh saltwater white fish (such as sea bass, snapper, halibut, etc.), but you could also use local fresh water fish such as trout, catfish, or even salmon if you wish. You may use only one type of fish or a combination of several different types. If you are concerned about where your seafood comes from, you can consult this regional fish guide (US only) to ensure you are responsibly consuming your seafood.
Ceviche Mixto
(Serves 8)
Prep time: 20 minutes
"Cook" time: at least 2 to 3 hours of marinating
Ingredients
- 1 lb shrimp (shelled, deveined, and chopped into small bite-sized pieces if overly large)
- 1/2 lb bay scallops
- 1 lb mussels
- 12-15 littleneck clams
- 2 Tablespoons c white wine
- Optional: white fish fillets
Marinade
- 1/3 cup lemon juice (juice of one lemon)
- 1/3 cup lime juice (juice of two limes)
- 2/3 cup orange juice (juice of 2 medium oranges)
- 1/2 cup chicken or fish broth (substitute water)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: 1 minced jalepeño chili, minced
Garnishes
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
- 1 small green pepper, chopped
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 Tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
Procedure
- Prepare marinade by whisking together all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- You may briefly boil shrimp and scallops to precook them, or leave them raw. If raw, you will need to marinate them for longer.
- Steam mussels and clams in a shallow saute pan with wine until they open up. You can either remove them from their shells, or leave them intact. Alternatively, you may shuck the shellfish and use them raw.
- Add all of the seafood to the marinade and cover for 2 hours (4-8 hours if using raw ingredients).
Serve in a lettuce-lined martini or margarita glass or any other single serving sized dish.
Accompany with a slice of avocado and a lime wedge. Also, try some salted crackers, popcorn, crusty bread, or crispy tortillas on the side.
