Spicy Shrimp Ceviche

With the weather at home threatening rain and grey all March my sister Ellie and I left to snag some sun in Central America. Ambergris Caye is our sun-drenched island destination and the main town of San Pedro is where we called home. San Pedro is dotted with brightly painted houses and the beaches are full of men cleaning their catch, ladies selling the best tamales I've ever eaten, and children selling jewelry. Island living was easy. The toughest decision we had was where to eat. 300 steps from our beachfront cabana was Hurricane, a rum punch slinging ceviche joint. The rum punch was above average but the ceviche was out of this world. Needless to say I ate there 3 times in 5 days and was disappointed when they were closed on my last night. Luckily I got the recipe from the chef they day before. Beautiful Belize was the perfect getaway to escape the Portland drab and now I can enjoy the taste of the Caribbean all winter long.  

Spicy Shrimp Ceviche

8 small servings, about 1/2 cup each

Active Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours

INGREDIENTS

POACHING LIQUID

• 2 quarts water
• 1/4 cup sea salt

CEVICHE

• 1 pound fresh raw shrimp (21-25 per pound), peeled and deveined
• Juice of 2 lemons
• Juice of 2 limes
• Juice of 2 oranges
• 1 cup (1 med cucumber) peeled, diced, and seeded cucumber 
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 2 serrano chiles, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 cup diced seeded tomato
• 1 avocado, chopped into small pieces
• 3 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro leaves, save some extra leaves for garnish
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• PREPARATION

1. Combine water and salt in a large saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Add shrimp and immediately turn off the heat. Let the shrimp sit for about 3 minutes. Put the shrimp on a cutting board until cool enough to handle.
2. Chop the shrimp into half inch pieces and place in a medium nonreactive bowl (see Tip). Add lemon, lime and orange juice ( see note). Stir in cucumber, onion and chiles. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
3. Stir tomato, avocado, chopped cilantro, oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt into the shrimp mixture. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve with chips or flat bottom taco shells.

• Kitchen Tip: A nonreactive bowl or pan—enamel-coated or glass—is necessary when cooking with acidic foods, such as lemon, to prevent the food from reacting with the pan. Reactive pans, such as aluminum and cast-iron, can impart an off color and/or off flavor.
• Note: Only use fresh squeezed juice. No prepackaged juice or concentrate.