By Chef Michael Minorgan for Curtains Up
www.globalgourmets.ca michael@globalgourmets.ca
Ecuadorian Seafood Ceviche
Ceviches or cebiches as you all probably know is a seafood dish primarily found in Central and South America. They incorporate very fresh fish and seafood marinated in a citrus juice (usually lime) and seasoned with cilantro and onions. Some ceviches have added ingredients like sweet potato (Peru), avocado (Mexico) or even plantains.
The origin of the dish is said to be Peru where it is considered one of their national dishes. Peru, by the way, is producing some of the most exciting and amazing food these days and I am planning a column on all it here soon with some delicious recipes. Another neighbouring country where you can find a large variety of ceviches is Ecuador. The dish this week is from Ecuador and would be a refreshing appetizer to any summer BBQ. Don’t let the addition of ketchup put you off, it’s a bit odd to be sure, but it actually works, just don’t go overboard with it. Above all else make sure that the fish or seafood you use is very fresh and if you are using shrimp or lobster they must be cooked first, any other fish or seafood can be used raw and cut up into small pieces…..Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 pound of cooked shrimp
Slice one large red onion into thin strips
Dice 4 ripe tomatoes
Add about half a cup of ketchup
The juice of 1 orange and 10 medium limes
Toss in a handful of diced cilantro
Finish with a splash of olive oil
And a pinch of salt and black pepper
Mix all of the ingredients together and let the mixture rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
Serve with fried green plantain chips for the authentic accompaniment or just use some corn nacho chips. Add a dash hot sauce and a squeeze of fresh lime just before serving!
