Recipe: Shrimp Ceviche

Every Tuesday this summer we’re featuring a new recipe on the blog from one of our Savor the South® cookbooks. Each little cookbook in our Savor the South® cookbook collection is a big celebration of a beloved food or tradition of the American South. From buttermilk to bourbon, pecans to peaches, bacon to catfish, one by one each volume will stock a kitchen shelf with the flavors and culinary wisdom of this popular American regional cuisine. Written by well-known cooks and food lovers, each book brims with personality, the informative and often surprising culinary and natural history of southern foodways, and a treasure of some fifty recipes—from delicious southern classics to sparkling international renditions that open up worlds of taste for cooks everywhere. You’ll want to collect them all.

Today’s recipe is from Jay Pierce’s ShrimpJay Pierce is chef at The Marshall Free House in Greensboro, North Carolina. He has written for CNN’s Eatocracy blog, Edible Piedmont, Savor NC, and Beer Connoisseur.  Follow him on Twitter @ChefRaconteur. His Shrimp Ceviche recipe is chock-full of Latin flavors and can easily be subbed with other types of fish.

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Recipe: Shrimp Ceviche

I’m a big fan of Latin flavors, and you’ll often find me cooking or eating something in this culinary vein on my days off from the restaurant. Remember, the difference between a tartare and a ceviche is that a tartare is raw, a ceviche is not—the protein is denatured by acid instead of heat, indicated by a change of texture in the protein. The amount of time needed for the protein to be “cooked” by the acid depends on the thickness of the shrimp, so we cut them in half. Mild white seafood like sea scallops or grouper works well as a substitute. This recipe was developed for an event with Brad Wynn of Big Boss Brewing in Raleigh, North Carolina, because he loves ceviche and it pairs wonderfully with his brewery’s Angry Angel Kölsch Style Ale.
Course: Appetizer
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. large shrimp (21/25) peeled
  • 1/4 cup Roma tomatoes seeded, small-diced
  • 4 tsps. jalapenos seeded, minced
  • 1 cup lime juice
  • 1/2 cup red onions small-diced
  • 2 tbsps. packed cilantro
  • 2 tbsps. orange juice
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 2 tsps. kosher salt
  • plantain crisps or tortilla chips
  • Hot sauce preferably Valentina or Bufalo

Instructions

  • Cut the shrimp in half lengthwise. Place in a bowl and cover with water. Swish around well, then remove the shrimp from the water.
  • Combine the shrimp with the remaining ingredients in a shallow pan or bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and press it down onto the surface of the ceviche.
  • Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, stirring halfway through and replacing the plastic wrap.
  • To serve, use a slotted spoon to transfer the ceviche to a serving dish. Serve with plantain crisps or tortilla chips and a bottle of hot sauce. Some folks like to serve the juice separately as shots of “Leche de Tigre.”

Notes

From Shrimp: a Savor the South® cookbook by Jay Pierce. Copyright © 2015 by University of North Carolina Press.