Ceviche or Seviche, has its roots planted firmly in Latin American waters and is the national dish of Peru. It has been embraced as part of the gastronomy of Mexico and other parts of Central and South America. Although served as a popular appetizer at restaurants around the world, ceviche is rarely made at home. My goal is to provide you with a foolproof recipe that brings the flavors of Latin America to your kitchen.

Unlike tuna or salmon, shrimp should be poached as part of the ceviche making process. Otherwise, the crustacean takes on a grey color and never quite reaches an ideal texture. Eating raw shrimp is considered a delicacy in some parts of the world but it is ill advised in most cases. There are also other issues related to eating raw shrimp. Because my recipe it uses heat it is technically a cross between a shrimp cocktail and a traditional ceviche.

This is one of those dishes that I like to serve family style. Slicing the shrimp in half lengthwise makes for a beautiful presentation and gives the appearance of a more abundant bowl. Other ingredients can be added to this ceviche to make it your own. Common additions are cucumber, tomato, avocado, mango and radish.  Have fun with this and throw a ceviche party where provide guests with a scoop of ceviche and they dress it with their favorite toppings.

Ingredients

∙ Makes 2-3 servings ∙

• 4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons sea salt, plus more as needed
• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 large lemon, halved
• 3 pounds white shrimp, peeled, deveined, and halved
• 4 large fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 medium jalapeño peppers, minced
• 1 bunch (1 cup) fresh cilantro, leaves only
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• 2 large limes, juice only
• Serving suggestions: Tortilla chips, jicama tostada shells tostones, or lettuce cups

Directions

To poach the shrimp, add about 4 cups of water to a large pot along with the sea salt, black peppercorns and half of the lemon. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, then add the shrimp. Cover tightly with a lid and allow the pot to sit for 8–10 minutes until cool.

Drain the pot and add the shrimp to a large bowl along with the tomatoes, red onion, jalapeño pepper, cilantro, avocado oil and lime juice. Mix to combine.

Taste for seasoning and add salt and the juice of the remaining lemon half as needed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight if needed. Serve family style with tortilla chips, jicama tostada shells, tostones or lettuce cups.