Passport & Plate - Shrimp Ceviche
USA | Wednesday, March 4, 2015 | 5 photos
Ingredients
Ingredients for 6 people
2 packets of shrimp (25 to 30 each)
1 large red onion
1 cup of chopped cilantro
2 tomatoes
½ of a green bell pepper
3 limes
olive oil
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
Salt
Pepper
Popcorn kernels (or microwaveable popcorn)
How to prepare this recipeCeviche Broth
Peel the shrimp and put the shrimp and the shells into two separate bowls. Do not throw away the shells.
Put a pot on top of the stove and add 2 cups of water. Add 2 tablespoons of salt, a teaspoon of pepper and ground cumin. Place the shrimp shells in the pot and set to medium high.
Let it boil for 5 minutes and then drain the shrimp sells. Leave the broth in the pot to be used for later. The shrimp shells can be thrown out.
Ceviche Salsa
Slice the red onion and place it in a bowl. Pour two tablespoons of salt and squeeze it with your hands for two minutes until they feel soft and juicy.
Take off all the salt by pouring cold water then draining them in a colander.
Place the onions in a deep bowl and pour the lime juice, half a teaspoon of salt and olive oil. Chop the cilantro and green bell pepper and add it to the bowl. Let the ingredients marinate for a couple of minutes.
Shrimp
Add 1 more cup of water to the Ceviche Broth. Put the shrimp into the broth and set to medium high. Wait until it has been brought to a boil and then immediately take out the shrimp and place them in a bowl.
Wait for five minutes to ten minutes until the broth and shrimp cool off.
Finally, mix the shrimp and the ceviche salsa together in one bowl.
Add the broth to the shrimp and ceviche salsa until it covers the shrimp on the top.
Popcorn
You can do it the old-fashioned way or use microwaveable popcorn.
Old-fashioned way: Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Cover the bottom of the pot with olive oil. Add the kernels until they cover the bottom of the pot. Cover the pot and wait until the popping slows down. Make sure you move the pot while they are popping so they won’t burn.
Take them out and put them in a bowl and add salt.
Add them to the ceviche as you like and you’re all set!
The story behind this recipeCeviche is so special that countries around the world have their own flavor and fusion to it. Everyone’s twist to it is so unique that even the etymology of the word is not concrete: some assure it’s “cebiche” and some will only spell it “ceviche.” Likewise, it is still debatable where the authentic version is from and everyone insists on bragging rights for their own national dish. Peru’s version is dry but savory enough to leave you with a spicy tinge. In Costa Rica, the ceviche is made up of pink fluid with squares of tangy fish that will want to make you devour another plate. But my mother’s version, a slightly different take on Ecuadorian ceviche, is not only scrumptious but full of history.
The history is also ongoing because it entails the special moments we’ve shared as a family and the moments to come. When someone graduates, lands a job, or there is a snowpocalypse heading our way that won’t let us out of the house, there is ceviche. Just like it is commonly known as a hangover cure in Ecuador, it is also served in the moments we need a cure from life. Watching my mom cook ceviche and savoring it on days where my house is full of laughter, made me want to learn the recipe. I hope to continue the custom when one day I have a family, so they can learn to understand that good food can be eaten in good times and in bad. Another special reason is that they can also come to appreciate the culinary culture of their roots. When my child asks me, like I did when I was younger to my mother, why we put popcorn on ceviche, I’ll just respond by saying just like she did, “because this is the best ceviche in the world.”
