Recipe: Shrimp Ceviche

I have never thought of myself as a particularly picky eater, but I do have some lines I will not cross.

Line #1: Cucumbers. So gross. Keep them far away from me.

Line #2: Raw meat. Hard pass. That includes raw seafood, but we’ll get to that in a minute.

I have a much longer list of things I’d simply prefer not to eat, including bananas (like the taste, can’t stand the paste), melon (tastes like cucumbers but slightly less offensively), raw onions (too pungent), most meats that aren’t boring “American grocery store standards,” and oh no is this turning into one of those recipe posts I can’t stand, the kind where the author goes rambling on in unnecessary prose for pages and pages, enough to get multiple revenue generating ads in front of your eyeballs as you scroll past photos detailing every step of the recipe process in minute detail?

No, it’s not. I have no ads. And while I do love to ramble, I will sum up quickly by saying that I was never interested in trying ceviche as it typically contains raw fish, but in this particular recipe, the shrimp is briefly heat-cooked, and together with avocado and tomatoes and cilantro and lime juice and other goodies, this is a healthy and delicious excuse to eat tortilla chips as a meal. You can change the amounts of any of the ingredients to your liking, or leave any of them out completely. I adapted this recipe from Homesick Texan.

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Shrimp Ceviche

This goes great with a glass of sparking water (like Topo Chico) dressed up with some tequila, lime juice, and simple syrup.

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish

Servings: 4

Author: Adapted from Homesick Texan

Ingredients 

• 1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, about 4 small limes
• 1/4 cup minced red onion
• 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
• 1 jalapeño or serraño pepper, seeded and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 medium avocados, peeled, pitted, and diced
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Tortilla chips, for serving
• Lime wedges, for serving

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp with the baking soda. Refrigerate it for 15 minutes.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil, stir in about a tablespoon of salt, add the shrimp, then cook for 1 minute. Drain the shrimp, then rinse under cold water to prevent any further cooking. Chop the shrimp into 1/2-inch pieces, then place in a non-reactive container and cover with the lime juice and minced onion. Refrigerate and marinate the mixture for 10 minutes.
• After this time, drain the shrimp and onion from the lime juice, reserving the juice. In a serving bowl, mix the shrimp and onion with the tomatoes, jalapeño or serraño pepper, garlic, cilantro, cumin, oregano, and avocado. Drizzle the oil over the mixture, then add some of the reserved lime juice. I start with 2 tablespoons of juice, then taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt to taste and more juice if needed.
• Serve immediately with tortilla chips and lime wedges. It can be eaten as a dip or on individual plates with utensils.