I literally cried, sneezed and coughed my way through making this dish. The sneezing and coughing started when I cut up the peppers (and they were only “mild”) and the crying took place with the chopping up of the onion. Onions always do this to me. I used to get away with not crying when I have my contacts on; but lately not even the contacts protect me from a bout of tears…
My mother learned how to make ceviche, when we lived in Panama. And this dish, which is traditional in a number of Latin American countries, is a favourite at home with my father and now my husband. In fact, my husband always requests ceviche when we are visiting my parents.
Ceviche can be made with shrimp, scallops or fish (the one we use the most and which provides the best results is sea bass). But whatever seafood you do use, make sure it’s very fresh and of course, raw. The citrus juices do the “cooking”.
CEVICHE DE GAMBAS (SHRIMP CEVICHE)
Ingredients:
- 400g fresh, raw shrimp
- 3/4 cup freshly squeeze lime juice
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 small green chili pepper (mine, as said, were mild; however, you can substitute for poblano or jalapeno if you want a bit more “punch” in the ceviche), finely chopped
- 1 small red chili pepper, finely chopped
- lime wedges, for serving
- tortilla chips
Process:
In a glass or ceramic bowl, combine all of the ingredients, except the shrimp and lime wedges. Add the shrimp and toss well to coat. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight, until the shrimp are opaque and have absorbed the flavours of the marinade. The citrus, salt and the peppers actually “cook” or macerate the shrimp. (I left mine overnight in the fridge.)
Serve cold with tortilla chips and lime wedges.
